Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak reminded Muslims not to be wasteful and spend prudently during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins tomorrow.

NONE In his Ramadan message issued in Kuala Lumpur today, Najib ( left ) said Muslims needed to be thrifty during Ramadan to avoid incurring debts which could lead to families facing difficulties in celebrating the upcoming Aidifiltri.

In the interests of Muslims who will be fasting during Ramadan, he also reminded traders not to take advantage of the situation and indiscriminately hike prices during the month.

He said Muslims in the country were fortunate in that they could fulfill their Ramadan obligations in a peaceful atmosphere.

"The situation in our country is vastly different from Muslims in some other countries which are facing natural disasters, humanitarian crises or are trapped in war zones where getting food for breaking fast and sahur (the pre-dawn meal) can be difficult," he said.

Golden opportunity

According to Najib, Ramadan also presented a golden opportunity for Muslims in the county to foster greater unity under the "1Ummah" concept and embrace "1bangsa Malaysia" of unity in diversity.

The month also helped train Muslims to be more disciplined, patient, kind and emphatise with others who are less fortunate, he said.

According to Najib, several important events and successes happened in the month of Ramadan including the Badr and Khandaq battles which were manifestations of the victories of Islamic armies against the soldiers of the Quraish tribe based on strategies, creativity and innovation employed by Prophet Muhammad and his friends.

He said Malaysia too had employed several strategic plans and missions to bring the country forward.

"Besides the 1Malaysia concept of emphasising "People First, Performance Now", we have also implemented a government transformation plan (GTP) that includes the New Economic Model aimed at meeting the objectives of the 10th Malaysia Plan and Vision 2020," he said.

He said all these were to ensure continued harmony and so that Malaysia could become a high income nation,'

Najib and his family wished Muslims throughout the country a happy Ramadan and happy fasting.

- Bernama