HULU LANGAT, March 7 — Selangor’s development is not solely focused on material progress, but also emphasises the cultivation of character and spiritual values to produce quality human capital.
Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari said this is important at a time when society is facing a crisis of modernity, where advances in systems and technology do not necessarily produce individuals with better values and moral character.
He emphasised that many systems considered among the best in the modern world — such as democracy, education, and management — can still produce individuals who are extreme, arrogant, or who misuse their skills if not accompanied by strong character formation.
“Education is the key to our success today and in the future, but it is not only meant to produce high-quality human resources. It must also nurture individuals with strong identity and resilience.
“So that they do not use their intelligence, wisdom, skills, or talents for the wrong purposes because their character has not been properly shaped and trained,” Amirudin said during the Qiamullail Perdana programme, sahur, and congregational Subuh prayers at Masjid Al-Azhar in Universiti Islam Malaysia (UIS) today.
Earlier, he joined 300 UIS members in the programme, which began at 4am. 50 asnaf students from the university also received duit raya contributions.
Amirudin added that Ramadan offers Muslims an opportunity to strengthen self-discipline and spirituality, which in turn helps shape character and human values within society.
The balance between physical development, education, and the strengthening of religious values is crucial to ensure that the next generation excels not only intellectually but also possesses the inner strength needed to face the challenges of the modern world.
Recognising this, the state government has introduced initiatives to strengthen society's spiritual development, including the turath studies programme and efforts to reinforce the tradition of Islamic scholarship in mosques and educational institutions.
“We are not only developing mosques, but we are also introducing turath programmes, translating classical turath texts and great works of the world to nurture individuals who are resilient, strong in spirit, and capable of facing challenges,” he said.
