PM will keep citing Quran in speeches, but will refer to Jakim

Criticised for his remarks on “Ashabul Kahfi” (companions of the cave), Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim vowed to keep citing Quranic verses and their interpretations in future speeches with civil servants.

Speaking at the Prime Minister’s Department’s monthly assembly in Putrajaya today, he said inculcating good values must not be forgotten amid the country’s race towards a digital economy.

However, the prime minister added that he would refer to the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) beforehand to avoid commotion.

“I will continue to cite other Quranic verses and their interpretations in future assemblies to spur more discussions.

“But I will refer to Jakim first so there will be no more controversy,” he said.

Silver lining

While he disagreed with the extent some had gone in criticising his remarks - which Anwar claimed had been misconstrued and viewed through the lens of his political adversaries - the prime minister said the incident had a silver lining.

According to Anwar, it encouraged lengthy discussions on the Quran’s Surah Al-Kahfi among Muslims, especially the younger generation.

This was something that rarely happened in the past, he pointed out.

"There was something good that came out of this. Our friends in Jakim know that people seldom discuss the interpretation of Quranic verses at length.

"So I view this positively, despite the attacks against me being somewhat overboard, with some even alleging I am deviant," Anwar added.

Last month, Anwar caught controversy when he spoke about the Ashabul Kahfi and referred to those in the story as Christians.

However, Anwar defended his remarks, saying that several books on Quranic interpretation stated the seven youths were followers of Nasrani belief, which is now called Christianity.

New monitoring procedure

During his speech today, Anwar also announced that the government is introducing an added procedure to monitor the progress of government projects.

Civil servants will be required to submit a monthly report on the progress of projects under their purview, along with details on what they have contributed towards the progress.

The added procedure, Anwar said, was decided after the cabinet discussed it with the chief secretary to the government and other leaders of the civil service.

"Usually when department heads and secretaries-general attend cabinet committee meetings, they would ask for more budget and more projects, which is okay.

"But we also have a new procedure to introduce. There must be a monthly report on works in progress, and what are your contributions to the project execution,” he added.

The monthly report will have to be submitted to the ministries’ director-general or secretary-general who will then send it to the chief secretary to the government and later reach the prime minister.

"We want a different approach now. All of us have been given responsibilities, and we are not waiting for annual progress reports anymore. There must be clear progress every month," he stressed.

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