Don't ask guests to show up too early for official programmes - Anwar

SERI ISKANDAR - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed all government departments organising official programmes not to ask guests to turn up too early as this can affect national productivity.

Anwar said it would be a waste of time to ask guests to be present way ahead of the dignitaries.

"When I look at the itinerary (of today’s programme), the prime minister’s arrival is at 1 pm, but the guests’ arrival is at noon. Why so early? What’s the purpose of that one-hour gap? So I ask all government departments to please make some changes.

"I arrived at 1.03 pm, but when I looked at the programme, the guests’ arrival was an hour earlier, which is troublesome. Therefore, insya-Allah, consider this an instruction...10 minutes or 15 minutes before that is fine. But there’s no need for guests to be asked to arrive so early because it’s a waste of time and affects national productivity.”

He said this in his keynote address at the Madani Gathering with the Prime Minister here today.

Meanwhile, the prime minister emphasised the importance of paying zakat (tithe) by quoting renowned scholar the late Syeikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, who stated that throughout history, nations rarely go to war to defend the poor, but instead to seek power and wealth.

"Said Syeikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, for the first time in history we have Abu Bakar As-Siddiq, in the name of Islam, justice and compassion for the poor, launched a war against those who refuse to pay zakat because refusal to pay zakat means the plight of the poor cannot be redeemed.

"This means that for the first time in the history of mankind, Abu Bakar As-Siddiq declared war against those who did not pay zakat because the zakat institution is important to strengthen the Madani economy, the Islamic economy that cares for the people and the needy," he said.

At today's programme, Anwar also presented the letter of approval for the Ar-Rahmaniah Mosque project in Tronoh as well as "Kotak Rezeki Ummat" food aid from Myfundaction and assistance for eKasih participants. - BERNAMA