The chairperson of the Kedah Regency Council, Tunku Sallehuddin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah, advised the people to stay away from any form of street protest, rioting and demonstrations to ensure the survival of national harmony and peace.

He said that as a nation built on a comprehensive democracy, every action must be based on democracy and not sentiments.

“The royal institution and the ruling monarch must be respected with a strong sense of loyalty.

“We (the nation) have a democratic process that allows the people to determine the government and leaders that they desired, without going through any confrontation and fight,” he said.

Tunku Sallehuddun said this at the official opening of the Kedah state legislative assembly sitting in Alor Setar today. Also present were members of the Kedah Regency Council Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz and Tunku Abdul Hamid Thani Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah.

He also urged the government to protect the people from any form of terrorism through the enforcement of the law as the Islamic State militant movement appeared to be continuing with their propaganda on their misguided ideology.

The group, he said, was getting more aggressive by resorting to violence against their enemies.

“What is more worrying is that there are Malaysians who have been influenced by the militant group and targeting dignitaries, military camps and police stations to get weapons or money to fund their deviationist teachings.

“As Muslims, we must rise up and strongly return to the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah and to stay away from the deviationist teachings,” he said.

Tunku Sallehuddin also urged the government to focus on issues involving the welfare of the people especially quality water supply, adequate job opportunities, balanced economic development and strong personal resilience.

The setting-up of a task force for the restructuring of water supply distribution, he said, must be praised as it was capable of placing water supply services in the state to be under control.

- Bernama