IPOH: The Office of the Sultan of Perak has lodged a police report in response to a viral statement containing an extract of a decree by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah.
The viral statement, said Orang Kaya Bendahara Seri Maharaja, Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Dr Mohd Zahidi Zainuddin, is seen as a bid to link the sultan to attempts to create racial and religious strife.
He said the police report was lodged by the Office of the Sultan of Perak yesterday to prevent Sultan Nazrin's name from being smeared by other parties for their own agendas.
He said the viral statement, which was racial in nature, was titled 'Amanah Membina Negara' , and had taken out of context Sultan Nazrin's speech 19 years ago.
The decree was issued when Sultan Nazrin, then Raja Nazrin Shah, was the Perak Crown Prince, at the 2nd Malay Education Congress on March 27, 2005 held at the Berjaya Times Square, Hotel & Convention Centre Kuala Lumpur.
Zahidi said Sultan Nazrin was concerned by the unethical act of using his former statement out of context to issue a racially-charged statement, and said such acts could have a direct impact on peace in the country.
"The decree by Raja Nazrin Shah (Sultan Nazrin) has contained 68 paragraphs and 5,748 words. In the decree, His Highness had touched on factors which affect the strengths and weaknesses of the Malays.
"It also touched on the importance that they are free in mind and spirit, enriched with positive values, as well as free to seek knowledge.
"His Highness had stressed on how religion, leaders, family, the community as well as knowledge and education play a key role in the Malay community. His Highness had issued a reminder so that we should be too easily trapped and too easily repeat negative phrases which could lower one's standing.
"His Highness had conveyed how one's chosen perception will influence a race's assigned values. If such issues are so quickly seen as weaknesses, then padi would be seen as weeds while rice would be seen as sand (padi mula dikatakan lalang, beras disangka pasir).
"His Highness wants the people to realise that when a race chooses to denigrate their own race, it will open the door for other races to insult it," he said.
Zahidi said Raja Nazrin's (Sultan Nazrin) decree did not in any way link or make any reference to any race in the country.
As such, they are certain that some quarters are trying to ignite racial and religious flames by using extracts from the decree out of context.
He said Sultan Nazrin was also informed by the police on the petrol bombing incident at the KK Mart in Bidor on March 26.
The sultan, he said, had described the incident as worrying and needed serious attention to prevent racial flames from being stoked further.
"His Highness believes that the majority of Malaysians are rational, moderate and prioritise harmony and peace. High Highness gave his assurance that he would offer protection to all Malaysians of all races and religion equally.
"This is to enable the people to continue to live in peace and harmony, for everyone to collectively develop Malaysian into a more peaceful and prosperous nation," he said.