IPOH: Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, has urged the public to remain vigilant against the spread of mistrust, warning that it threatens unity by eroding shared foundations and clouding collective aspirations.
He said the people appear to be increasingly adrift, losing the guiding compass that points to unity.
"At this juncture, the nation needs wise and prudent leadership that instils a sense of ease and comfort among the people, free from prejudice and suspicion, fostering instead an open-minded appreciation for the diversity bestowed upon this land.
"The variety of ethnicities, cultures, and languages is among the creations that reveal the greatness of the Almighty.
"Malaysia's rich diversity in its people is by the will of the Almighty," Sultan Nazrin said at the Perak Darul Ridzuan Pledge of Loyalty and Investiture Ceremony in conjunction with his 68th birthday at Istana Iskandariah here today.
Also in attendance were Raja Permaisuri Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim, Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa, Raja Di-Hilir Perak Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain Sultan Idris and Raja Puan Muda Perak Tunku Soraya Abdul Halim Shah.
Present were Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming and Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang.
At the ceremony, Sultan Nazrin presented awards and medals to 59 of the 213 recipients, and the second session of the ceremony for the remaining recipients will be held on Nov 16.
In his speech, Sultan Nazrin paid tribute to the nation's founding father, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra.
"This year marks a proud milestone as our nation celebrates 67 years of independence.
"As December 6 approaches, we will mark 34 years since the passing of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, fondly remembered as the Father of Independence and the Father of Malaysia.
"Tunku Abdul Rahman and his fellow founding leaders envisioned and established a nation and a government for the Federation of Malaya and Malaysia, based on the concept of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy.
"This system is anchored in the doctrine of the separation of powers, upheld by three distinct entities: the legislative, the executive, and judiciary," he said, adding for a democracy to thrive, a progressive nation must prioritise the balance of power by upholding the system of checks and balances across the three branches of government.
He said when power becomes overly concentrated within any single institution or one branch grows significantly weaker, it can lead to a lame government.
This, he said, can lead to failures in justice, invite abuse of power, sow division among the people, escalate into civil conflict, and, ultimately, result in governmental collapse.
"Sultan Nazrin said the nation was founded on the principles of unity and cooperation among its citizens of diverse ethnicities and religions, who inherit rich cultures and speak multiple languages.
However, he said despite six decades of independence, the country has yet to achieve an ideal state of maturity.
"The journey toward this ideal is unending, yet the ship of our nation will draw closer to the harbour of perfection if leaders and citizens alike choose to set aside differences and seek a common denominator," he said.
Sultan Nazrin noted that the nation faces significant challenges, with religion and ethnicity becoming intertwined in political discourse.
"We have seen the rise of excessive rhetoric masked in religious fervour and provocative slogans associated with ethnic identities.
"Such rhetoric and slogans are akin to embers that can ignite a spark. If not swiftly contained, they risk igniting a conflagration of animosity capable of devastating our nation."