By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Feb 23 — Bribery and corruption is a form of betrayal towards one’s responsibilities and society as a whole, the state religious authority said today, cautioning Muslims to stay away from such practices.
In its Friday sermon, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) reminded fellow congregants of the danger of engaging in ‘rishwah’ (bribery and corruption) as doing so would have deep ramifications for society.
“The vile criminal act of bribery rampant within our society will have a terrible, negative impact if not curbed.
“It can lead to an unstable political situation, economic collapse, ineffective governance, threaten national security, widespread abuse of power, concentrated wealth in the hands of the few, the rich getting richer and greedier, and the poor becoming more oppressed while they remain defenceless.
“As a result, the nation will collapse and chaos erupts due to the rampant evil crime of rishwah, which is akin to ‘api dalam sekam’ (evil that is concealed) or ‘gunting dalam lipatan’ (enemy within),” it said.
The sermon was read in all mosques statewide today. A copy of the sermon is also accessible on Jais’ official website.
The religious body said those who commit bribery are also deemed to have committed a form of oppression, denying the rights of others.
“Those whose rights have been denied, namely the oppressed ones, will have their prayers accepted by Allah.
"Therefore, it is essential to be vigilant and remember that those who commit this heinous crime will never escape punishment, whether in this world or the Hereafter," it added.
Jais also lamented how individuals engaging in such acts choose to blatantly disregard the threat and curse of Allah SWT and the Prophet Muhammad, driven solely by selfishness and greed, even at the expense of their dignity and integrity.
“This group, in reality, has been oppressive upon themselves and others, as well as betraying the responsibility entrusted to them.
“Rizq (sustenance) attained from forbidden sources are then fed to their children, spouse, and household members. How then does one give birth to righteous offspring, and have a household with mawaddah (love) and sakeenah (tranquility)? Even more unfortunate is the loss of barakah (blessings) in the rizq attained,” Jais said.
It urged all Muslims to support the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in combating graft for the nation's benefit and emphasised the need for collaboration from governmental agencies, private sectors, professionals, and the society at large.
Jais implored all quarters to strive in fighting off rishwah on a serious level, for the sake of empowering the administration and ensuring good governance.
“This is what is required and per the demands of Islam’s teachings,” it said.
