MAHATHIR, HIMSELF ACCUSED OF PLAYING ‘POLITICAL ISLAM’ & PANDERING TO MUSLIM HARDLINERS, DARES TO SAY: ‘IT IS VERY SAD WHEN WE FIND MUSLIMS EVERYWHERE MIRED IN POVERTY & DEPENDENT ON AID FROM OTHERS BECAUSE THEY DON’T MAKE ENOUGH EFFORT’

PHNOM PENH, 2 Sept -- Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (kiri) ketika sesi dialog sempena Majlis Makan Malam bersama Diaspora Malaysia malam ini. Turut sama Menteri Luar Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah. Dr Mahathir mengadakan lawatan rasmi selama tiga hari ke Kemboja. Ini merupakan lawatan rasmi Dr Mahathir selepas 25 tahun. Lawatan terakhir Dr Mahathir ke Kemboja adalah pada tahun 1994. --fotoBERNAMA (2019) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA PHNOM PENH, Sept 2 -- Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (left) during a dialogue session in conjunction with dinner for the Malaysian diaspora tonight. Also present Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah. Dr Mahathir, who is on a three-day official visit to Cambodia starting today. He last official visit to Cambodia as Prime Minister was 25 years ago in 1994.
--fotoBERNAMA (2019) COPYRIGHTS RESERVED
 


PHNOM PENH – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today urged Muslims to do away with the mentality of depending on others for aid and assistance.

The Malaysian prime minister said Muslims must constantly strive to be industrious, honest and efficient to enhance their socio-economic standing.

“It is very sad when we find Muslims everywhere mired in poverty and dependant on aid from others. Why? That is because they do not make enough effort.

“We know that when we own a trade or have a job, we do not have to rely on others.

“However, what we are seeing is the opposite we have the intelligence and the skills but we are not taking advantage of them. That is why we have to return to the foundations of Islam,” the premier said.

Earlier, Dr Mahathir received a courtesy call from Cambodian Muslim leader cum Senior Minister-in-charge of Islamic Affairs, Datuk Othman Hassan.

The prime minister, accompanied by his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, arrived in Phnom Penh today for a three-day official visit to Cambodia after 25 years at the invitation of his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen.

At the same event, Dr Mahathir was honoured with the Muslim Exemplary Leadership award by the Cambodian Muslim Community in recognition of Malaysia’s role in assisting the Muslims in the country.

Later, Dr Mahathir and Dr Siti Hasmah attended a dinner with the Malaysian diaspora here.

Some 300 Malaysians working and residing in the Cambodian capital attended the dinner.

— Bernama