KUALA LUMPUR – The budget for unity efforts warrants an allocation equal to, if not greater than, that allocated for the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), given its importance in serving the broader population, says the son of one of the country’s founding fathers.
Tawfik Ismail, whose father was Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, the second deputy prime minister, said the Unity Ministry, led by Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, deserved an increased budget allocation because of its vital role in bridging societal divides and nurturing positive relationships among Malaysians.
“Your portfolio, Excellency, is the most important and most needed to mend fences and build rapport, and for me personally, it deserves a budget equal to, if not more than, that given to Jakim as you serve a wider constituency,” he said.
He said this in his speech after receiving the National Unity Icon Leadership Award at the Sejahtera Malaysia event, jointly hosted by KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific, Dialog Rakyat and UCSI University today.
Tawfik also congratulated Aaron for launching Madani Harmony, which is aimed at building bridges and fostering greater understanding amongst Malaysians.
“It is significant that the ministry is led by a Sarawakian, as we in the peninsula look with a certain envy at the harmony and depth of empathy for each other that is uniquely Sarawakian and whose values we in Malaya once shared but which is now severely tested by narrow-minded and bigoted rhetoric by people who should know better,” he said.
Under Budget 2024, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government had allocated RM1.9 billion for the management and development of Islamic affairs in the country, of which RM150 million was also provided to Jakim to maintain and upgrade the infrastructure of Islamic educational institutions, including religious schools and registered pondok and tahfiz institutions. – April 29, 2024