{"id":28084,"date":"2020-09-15T08:31:11","date_gmt":"2020-09-15T00:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/new-wp\/?p=28084"},"modified":"2020-09-15T08:31:11","modified_gmt":"2020-09-15T00:31:11","slug":"loving-this-nation-we-call-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/loving-this-nation-we-call-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Loving this Nation We Call \u2018Home\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Malaysia Day which is celebrated on 16th<\/sup> September every\nyear marks a significant chapter in our nation\u2019s historical page. If the\nNational Day on 31st<\/sup> August is about remembering and appreciating\nthe struggles of our forefathers in securing the freedom for the country in\ncharting its own future, Malaysia Day is then a celebration of nationhood that\ncalls upon every Malaysian to stand firmly to the fundamentals that hold the\ncountry together. The Federal Constitution and the principles of the Rukun Negara<\/em> are among the central\nelements that must become the basis of our love and dedication for this\ncountry. There must be great sense of pride and also belonging within us that\ndespite the odds that Malaysia faces, the nation has remained peaceful,\nharmonious and stable. The Covid-19 pandemic that has shaken most countries in\nmany parts of the world, is a clear example of how one\u2019s love for one\u2019s country\nis able to beat such anomalous circumstances. Who would and could have guessed\nthat 2020 has laid upon us one of the toughest challenges to overcome. The\nslogan \u2018Malaysia Prihatin\u2019 or caring Malaysia indicates a strong sense of\nsolidarity among Malaysians from all walks of life in facing such an\nunprecedented crisis. The majority of Malaysians have not given up nor let our\nguards down in battling the invisible enemy. As our medical and security\npersonnel stand in the frontline to combat the spread and treat the sick,\ngeneral Malaysians too join the battle within our very own capacities. Our\ndedication and contribution is driven by our sense of love for this country we\ncall \u2018Home\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Islam, the feeling of love towards one\u2019s country is highly\nencouraged. It was written by Ab\u016b al-Wal\u012bd al-Azraq\u012b ,\nin his books of Akhbar Makkah wa ma ja’ fiha min aathaarin,\nthat the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) also shared his feeling of love\ntoward his birth place, the Holy City of Mecca. Also in a hadith, from Ibn\nAbbas, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) said of Mecca: “How sweet of a land you\nare and how dear you are to me, and if it were not that my people expelled me\nfrom you, I would not have lived in other than you.” (Narrated by al-Tirmizi)<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In showing his love towards the\nplace where he lived, led a nation and breathed his last breath, Madinah,\nProphet Muhammad said: <\/em>“O Allah! Make us love Madinah as You\nmade us love Mecca, or more..\u201d (Narrated by Al-Bukhari).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loving the country requires us to put the interests of the nation\nabove our very own. Each and every one of us must always be ready to contribute\nin safeguarding these interests within our own capabilities and capacities. For\nexample, leaders need to realise that they are not the only ones who work hard\nfor the development of the nation nor are they the only people who know what is\nbest for the country. A dynamic and symbiotic relationship between the leaders\nof the country and its people is very much needed in this endeavour, coupled\nwith the understanding that each has a role to play in achieving the country\u2019s\ndevelopment goals, stability and security. Recognition of this aspect would\nhelp Malaysia achieve its intended visions and also provide valuable solutions to\nchallenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Malaysia is currently facing a testing time in its economy,\npolitics, health and safety, leaders and the general public should work hand in\nhand to push Malaysia out of the current quandary. There is no use to deny that\nproblems do exist, but most importantly is how to formulate the right solutions\nto these problems. Malaysia is just like any other nation that is tested from\ntime to time, but just like any success story, it is how we bounce back from\nall of these setbacks which matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this sense, we\nshould regard the nation like a big family which is made up of different\nindividuals with their own unique personalities and personal interests. However\ndiverse it may be, in the end, it is the family institution that is most\nimportant. Love for the family is the bond that helps to strengthen and preserve\nthe set up. Malaysia can only move forward and remain relevant if the people\nare sincere enough to appreciate everyone\u2019s contribution to the country in\ntheir very own capacities be it big or small. The role of some might be less\ncompared to others, but if we learn to perceive things correctly by\nacknowledging everyone\u2019s contribution, the country will be able to tread\nthrough these tough times. In addition, if we sincerely love the country and\nwish to see it move forward and become a strong nation in all aspects, we need\nto put aside our egos and personal interests especially if those interests\nthreaten the peace and the sovereignty of the people and the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malaysia is\nindeed a blessed nation, and for it to be able to preserve the peace, harmony,\nstability and achieve the intended success, all of us need to come together as\none. It is insufficient to merely utter the word \u2018love\u2019 towards the country, it\nmust also be accompanied by right actions, sincere dedication and great sense\nof responsibility as Malaysians. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Malaysia Day which is celebrated on 16th September every year marks a significant chapter in our nation\u2019s historical page. If the National Day on 31st August is about remembering and appreciating the struggles of our forefathers in securing the freedom for the country in charting its own future, Malaysia Day is then a celebration of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_analytify_skip_tracking":false,"_wpzoom_pinterest_image_url":"","_wpzoom_pinterest_hidden_image":"0","_wpzoom_pinterest_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-straits-times","category-139","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28084\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}