Ipoh: Defending borders and tackling cyber threats or extremism are crucial, but social cohesion remains the most durable form of security, stated the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah. His Royal Highness emphasized that for Malaysia and the wider Muslim world, national integrity requires vigilance against the exploitation of religious sentiment for narrow political purposes.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sultan Nazrin addressed this issue at the 8th World Conference on Islamic Thought and Civilisation (WCIT): "Everyone Matters: Pride and Unity in Islam." The Sultan warned against the manipulation of faith to justify division rather than fostering unity and inclusion. He asserted that true national integrity depends on every citizen, regardless of ethnicity or faith, feeling they have an equal stake in their nation's future, as no security apparatus can replace this sense of belonging.
Sultan Nazrin also highlighted that a nation's security is intertwined with its integrity. A country secure from external threats but plagued by internal corruption and injustice has not achieved true security but merely deferred its challenges. He underscored that national integrity is maintained not through uniformity or silencing dissent but by ensuring every community genuinely participates in the nation's success and sees themselves fairly represented in laws, the economy, education, and leadership.
His Royal Highness further stressed the importance of human capital investment to face future challenges such as automation, climate change, and a knowledge-based economy. This involves not only expanding educational infrastructure but also strengthening sciences and mathematics alongside humanities and arts. Sultan Nazrin advocated for equal dignity and investment in technical and vocational education, emphasizing the importance of valuing skilled tradespeople as highly as those pursuing academic professions.
As the country advances into the age of artificial intelligence, Sultan Nazrin noted that rote memorization and standardized testing are outdated. He argued that the youth need to develop critical thinking, ethical reasoning, creativity, and adaptability-skills that artificial intelligence cannot replicate. Sultan Nazrin concluded that a well-conceived Islamic education, rooted in revealed knowledge and rational inquiry, is essential for cultivating these human capacities.