Malaysia to Be First Developed Muslim Country: PM

BUTTERWORTH, September 11 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Malaysian Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi expects his country to become the first member of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to attain developed country status thanks to its achievements in science and technology.

"According to OIC information, Insyaallah (God Willing), our country will become the first OIC member to achieve developed country status when it realizes the Vision 2020 goals," he was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

"I hope we will work hard to develop our country," Abdullah said opening the At-Taqwa Mosque in Mak Mandin.

He exhorted Malaysian Muslims to have mental resilience and strive to follow the teachings of the Noble Qur’an to discover the secrets of the various branches of knowledge, including science and technology, to develop their country.

"With hard work and inspiration, we can acquire the necessary skills to design modern technology," Abdullah stressed, adding that those who say it is impossible are like soldiers who surrender even before the battle is over.

He regretted that Muslims are heavily dependent on technology developed by non-Islamic nations, asserting it was high time for them to give the world modern and hi-tech inventions.

To achieve the Vision 2020, a goal set by his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah's government is developing a skilled workforce in fast-growing industries such as information technology and biotechnology.

Malaysia, the current chair of the OIC, is also leading a push for Muslim nations to focus on economic development, build trade links with each other, and develop their financial sectors.

Qur'anic Guide

Premier Abdullah said the Noble Qur’an should be used as an important guide to promote people's interest in science.

"There is no dispute over the role of the Qur’an in developing human beings and civilizations.

"Muslims should understand and apply the teachings of the Qur’an in their daily lives," underlined the premier.

"If you study world civilization, the development of diverse fields of science and technology like medicine, mathematics and astronomy [you will find they] are actually founded by Islamic scholars who used Qur'an as reference," he noted.

Books authored by well-known Muslim intellectuals like Ibnu Sina and Al-Khawarizmi are being used as reference materials by students in Europe and other western countries to further deepen their knowledge in science and technology.

Early this month, Badawi urged Muslims worldwide, lagging behind in education development, to learn from the achievements of past Muslim scientists and scholars.

"Out of the total population of 1.3 billion in OIC member states, less than 300,000 qualify as scientists. In comparison, the United States of America has 1.1 million scientists; Japan has 700,000," he said.

Qur'an Translation

Abdullah launched Saturday, September 10, a Bahasa Malaysia translation of the Noble Qur’an and a multimedia version of the Muslim holy book.

By having the translation, Malaysians can now better study the Noble Qur’an and grasp its teachings.

"The Qur’an Multimedia is another example of the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to encourage our children to read and understand the contents of the Qur’an.

"In this modern era, the country's economy is being moved by ICT and this is the type of progress exhorted by Islam," Abdullah said.

Abdullah is championing the concept of Islam Hadhari (Civilizational Islam) which, among others, emphasizes the importance of mastering knowledge for the Muslims to succeed and progress.

Malaysia offers the image of a very successful Muslim country –- where Muslims make up 60% of the population -- heading towards the status of a developed nation with a fast track economy.

The country announced on Saturday, August 27, it is planning to send its first astronaut to the Moon by 2020.