Here is a need to re-examine indicators used to measure development and human progress, apart from the national economic performance, says Sul-tan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah. Our notion of what constitut.....................Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

When Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became Prime Minister in 2003, political commentators said that he had very big shoes to fill. He was taking over from a man who had led the country for 22 years, during which Malaysia was transformed from an agrarian backwater to a modern emerging economy. He had a tough act to follow.....................Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

The voice of Wasatiyyah in the Quran has also resonated in almost all world religions and moral teachings, such as the Confucian doctrine of Chung Yung among the Chinese. Therefore, no civilisation can lay an exclusive claim to this Quranic notion. The “golden mean” of keeping to the middle way in all things, the via media made so famous by Aristotle over 2,000 years ago, is, however, easier said than done. Our own great thinker, Imam al-Ghazali, described best its elusive nature when he said: “The middle way is always either a compromise between two points of view, or something devoid of two extremes.” (And it usually involves struggling on two fronts!).....................Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

Through his new book, The Middle Path of Moderation in Islam, Prof Kamali provides us with his reflections on the concept of the “middle way,” or Wasatiyyah, in the Islamic tradition; on the ways the idea can be understood, and on its significance. Importantly, as the subtitle indicates, he posits this notion as an essential Quranic principle. What I find particularly attractive about this book is that it is written in a style that both scholars and the general public will find accessible and yet without losing its academic rigour. The book is divided into two parts. The first part is a theoretical analysis in which the idea of Wasatiyyah is carefully defined and then its development is traced throughout the course of Muslim history, from the classical period to our own understandings of the “middle way” at the present time. The second part deals primarily with the various practical applications that are related to this key Islamic concept. Relying closely on the scriptural sources of Islam, both the Quran and the Sunnah, as well as utilising the various scholastic traditions in Islam, Shia as well as Sunni, Prof Kamali illustrates where and how we can find the notion of the middle way in our daily lives and shows how our maintaining of the centrality of this Islamic message relies upon a correct understanding and practice of moderation.....................Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

Malaysia and Morocco are linked in Islamic culture and history. The earliest linkage between our nations can probably be traced back to Ibn-Battuta landing in Malacca during his voyage in 1325. In modern times, our countries enjoy well-established diplomatic and economic relations, and it is my hope that this business mission will pave the way for stronger ties between our two countries. In particular, I hope it will foster closer collaboration in Islamic finance, which is also known as participative finance here in Morocco. Morocco, located at the confluence between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, is well-placed as a gateway for trade and investment not just in Africa, but also in Europe and the Middle East....................Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)