RAMADAN SHOULD INSPIRE COMPASSION, SUPPORT FOR THE NEEDY - DR WAN AZIZAH

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) -- The month of Ramadan should serve as a platform to deepen compassion and extend support to the less fortunate, said Prime Minister's wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

She said Ramadan was not merely a time to endure hunger and thirst, but also an opportunity to cleanse the heart, deepen faith and cultivate empathy for those facing difficulties.

“Ramadan teaches us to be more patient, more pious, and show greater concern for the hardships faced by others, while helping us appreciate every blessing bestowed by Allah SWT,” she said at the Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia’s (AIM) Nur Ramadan and Iftar Jamaie programme here today.

Also present were Political Secretary to the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Datuk Rizalman Mokhtar, chairman of the AIM Board of Trustees, Datuk Seri Syed Hussian Syed Junid and AIM chief executive officer Noor Aeiza Hassan.

Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah, who is also the Bandar Tun Razak MP, highlighted the responsibilities of a leader, stressing that leadership was not merely about governing, but about shouldering the trust of the people with full responsibility and compassion.

She said that leaders today must always reach out to the people and find ways to improve the lives of those in need, particularly low-income families.

Dr Wan Azizah also expressed her appreciation to AIM for their efforts in helping hundreds of thousands of low-income families improve their living standards through micro-financing and entrepreneurship development programmes.

According to her, with the assistance, many women who had previously faced hardships were now able to start small businesses, support their families, and provide a better future for their children.

“This effort is very much in line with the spirit of Islam, which emphasises both economic development and support for those in need,” she said.

At the event, Dr Wan Azizah also presented contributions of RM100 each to 520 recipients, including orphans, members of the asnaf group from the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary constituency, as well as Sahabat Usahawan AIM.

--BERNAMA