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“The
existence of laws does not guarantee that crime will not
happen,” Mahathir said.
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CAIRO,
April 18, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Former Malaysian Premier
Mahathir Mohamad believes that instilling noble values in people
rather than enacting new laws is the most effective way to
prevent crimes and wrongdoings, the Star Online reported on
Monday, April 18.
“The
existence of laws does not guarantee that crime will not happen. There
is no better way to prevent crime than to instil good and noble values
in people,” he said on Sunday, April 17.
“In
Malaysia, we have a lot of laws - civil and criminal. But even if the
punishment is severe such as death, people still commit crimes.
“So
education to instil good values plays a very important role,” said
Mahathir.
He
maintained that although laws are necessary to prevent chaos, most
people refrain from committing crimes because they know it is wrong
not because they are afraid of the law.
The
former premier also stressed that legislations must be enforced in a
proper way and not at the whim of the enforcers.
Weeks
ago Mahathir’s successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched a five-year
campaign
to instil good values among Malaysians, making it a national agenda.
Last
month, a Malaysian daily reported that the increased presence of the
police in the cities has reduced crimes in Malaysia last year.
Crime
fell by 2.27 percent in the first two months of this year, The
Electric Newspaper said.
Internal
Security and Public Order Director Datuk Othman Talib has said that
growing public awareness and anti-crime patrols deterred the thieves.
Spreading
Islam
Mahathir
regretted that statistics show Malays and Muslims being involved in
many crimes, such as rape, incest and drug abuse.
“Even
though these acts are forbidden by Islam they continue to commit them.
They not only disregard the country's laws but also the religious
law.”
He
stressed that the best way to spread and preach Islam is by not
committing crimes and by being disciplined and God-fearing.
Earlier
last month, Mahathir said that the secret behind turning his country
into one of the most successful models in Southeast Asia over the past
two decades is the Noble Qur’an.
“It
was not a
miracle
in Malaysia. We just spring up into force what is mentioned in the
Noble Qur’an,” he told a huge audience at Cairo University.
He
also called on Muslims to instate justice and to focus on education as
important means for assuming their place among developed nations.
Although
he stepped down as premier two years ago, the architect of
Malaysia’s enormous economic reform still keeps a high-profile both
inside his country and across the Arab and Muslim worlds as well.
Malaysia
offers the image of a very successful Muslim country heading towards
the status of a developed nation.
Muslims
make up around 60% of the country’s population.
