Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji said the bullying culture that has seemingly become widespread in learning centres and schools in Sabah and the country must be viewed seriously and addressed.
“I am very disappointed and deeply saddened by what has happened.
“This is a situation that should not have occurred.
“What is even more disheartening is that this culture of bullying among students has also taken place in religious schools! Society has begun to question. I, too, want to know what exactly has happened.
“How could such a culture of bullying exist within an institution that bears the sanctity of Islam? Where did it all go wrong?” he asked at the opening of the Du’at Convention at SICC.
In this respect, he believed the Islamic religious affairs convention is the right avenue to reflect on and evaluate weaknesses, correct shortcomings not only in schools but also in all organisations, whether in the Government or private sector.
Hajiji said that as citizens in a multi-racial country, Muslims cannot avoid facing issues related to their religion, especially on social media.
He expressed concern about the spread of false propaganda, including fake news and slander, a malicious tactic used by anti-government groups aimed at demeaning or destroying the reputation of certain leaders as the state election draws near.
“Apart from political issues, there are also other matters that have been sensationalised, such as those concerning the economy, security, health, the environment and the 3Rs (Race, Religion and Royalty), where even the institution of the Yang Di-Pertua Negeri has been attacked and belittled,” he said.
Also not spared was the tragic incident involving bullying culture among school children, which has resulted in loss of life.
“To the extent they resorted to lying, spreading fake news and slandering targeted individuals in the Zara case,” he said.
He said the rapid explosion of information technology in this century has opened up a borderless world, shrinking the world into what is called The Global Village, where everything is literally at one’s fingertips.
The challenge, he said, has grown even greater with the creation of sophisticated applications like Artificial Intelligence (AI), designed to help ease tasks and work in this modern age.
Meanwhile, Hajiji stressed that the State Government will not compromise on matters of faith (aqidah), development and the wellbeing of the ummah.
The State Government consistently supports efforts to develop and promote Islamic teachings, as actively carried out by the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheains), the Sabah Islamic Council (Muis) and several NGOs, such as the United Sabah Islamic Association (Usia) and the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim), he said.
In line with the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya policy, which prioritised human capital development, agencies such as Muis and the Sabah Baitulmal Corporation have joined forces with Yayasan Sabah and the State Public Service Department to provide scholarship opportunities for Sabah students wishing to further their studies at local and overseas institutions of higher learning.
Under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), which is nearing its end, the State Government has allocated substantial funding to upgrade mosque and surau infrastructure across Sabah as well as provide various training and human capital development for du’at, he said.
“God willing, under the upcoming 13MP, we will continue to champion the agenda of empowering dakwah and advancing Islamic development in line with current needs and demands.
“This includes digital dakwah transformation in tandem with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the placement of integrated preachers in rural and island areas, as well as special Madani youth programmes to nurture capable young preachers,” he said.
“I am very disappointed and deeply saddened by what has happened.
“This is a situation that should not have occurred.
“What is even more disheartening is that this culture of bullying among students has also taken place in religious schools! Society has begun to question. I, too, want to know what exactly has happened.
“How could such a culture of bullying exist within an institution that bears the sanctity of Islam? Where did it all go wrong?” he asked at the opening of the Du’at Convention at SICC.
In this respect, he believed the Islamic religious affairs convention is the right avenue to reflect on and evaluate weaknesses, correct shortcomings not only in schools but also in all organisations, whether in the Government or private sector.
Hajiji said that as citizens in a multi-racial country, Muslims cannot avoid facing issues related to their religion, especially on social media.
He expressed concern about the spread of false propaganda, including fake news and slander, a malicious tactic used by anti-government groups aimed at demeaning or destroying the reputation of certain leaders as the state election draws near.
“Apart from political issues, there are also other matters that have been sensationalised, such as those concerning the economy, security, health, the environment and the 3Rs (Race, Religion and Royalty), where even the institution of the Yang Di-Pertua Negeri has been attacked and belittled,” he said.
Also not spared was the tragic incident involving bullying culture among school children, which has resulted in loss of life.
“To the extent they resorted to lying, spreading fake news and slandering targeted individuals in the Zara case,” he said.
He said the rapid explosion of information technology in this century has opened up a borderless world, shrinking the world into what is called The Global Village, where everything is literally at one’s fingertips.
The challenge, he said, has grown even greater with the creation of sophisticated applications like Artificial Intelligence (AI), designed to help ease tasks and work in this modern age.
Meanwhile, Hajiji stressed that the State Government will not compromise on matters of faith (aqidah), development and the wellbeing of the ummah.
The State Government consistently supports efforts to develop and promote Islamic teachings, as actively carried out by the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheains), the Sabah Islamic Council (Muis) and several NGOs, such as the United Sabah Islamic Association (Usia) and the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim), he said.
In line with the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya policy, which prioritised human capital development, agencies such as Muis and the Sabah Baitulmal Corporation have joined forces with Yayasan Sabah and the State Public Service Department to provide scholarship opportunities for Sabah students wishing to further their studies at local and overseas institutions of higher learning.
Under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), which is nearing its end, the State Government has allocated substantial funding to upgrade mosque and surau infrastructure across Sabah as well as provide various training and human capital development for du’at, he said.
“God willing, under the upcoming 13MP, we will continue to champion the agenda of empowering dakwah and advancing Islamic development in line with current needs and demands.
“This includes digital dakwah transformation in tandem with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the placement of integrated preachers in rural and island areas, as well as special Madani youth programmes to nurture capable young preachers,” he said.
