He said the failure of a handful of Muslims in carrying out an Islamic way of life of quality was due to the fact that they did not fully uphold the teachings of the holy book.
When launching the Seminar on Islamic Quality Management 2014 organised by Universiti Utara Malaysia, here today, Dr Mahathir said this led them to do things which were against the religion including the abuse of power, corruption and so on.
In order to have a deep understanding on the teachings of the Al-Quran, he said Muslims were recommended to read and understand the Al-Quran in a language that they understood whether the interpretation in the Malay or English language, like he did.
“This enables us to obtain much information because we understand the language, thus we can enjoy quality living in order to succeed in the present world and the hereafter,” he said.
On another development, the former prime minister expressed concern on the lack of confidence in the expertise of local citizens in the appointment of key positions.
He said Malaysia had many capable talents that could be utilised.
“We have many talents in this country. But even to call a consultant, (we engage) a foreigner. Even for the post of director, it’s a foreigner,” he said when commenting on the appointment of Christoph R.Mueller as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS NewCo).
Khazanah Nasional Bhd had earlier announced the appointment of Mueller as the CEO of MAS NewCo effective Jan 1, 2015.
Muller, who originated from Germany, is currently the CEO of Aer Lingus, Ireland’s national airline, since 2009 and has more than 25 years’ experience in the airline, logistics and tourism sectors.
Dr Mahathir said the national prosperity enjoyed after independence was due to the capable leadership of the locals.
“I think Malaysians are not stupid. During the era of the British (rule) we were a very backward, poor nation. We became rich, we could develop after independence, led by Malaysians,” he added.
— BERNAMA
