KUANTAN (Jan 24): Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on Saturday stressed that corruption is not a minor offence, but a grave betrayal of the nation.

The Sultan said the dignity of a country is not measured by the height of its buildings or the size of its financial accounts, but by the values upheld when faced with the temptations of power and wealth.

Al-Sultan Abdullah noted that many nations have fallen not because of external attacks, but due to internal betrayal through corruption, abuse of power and unchecked greed.

“Know that corruption is not a small offence. Abuse of power is not a weakness of ordinary people, it is a crime of office. When the law is manipulated by those entrusted to uphold it, the country is led to the brink of destruction.

“Today, there are those who wear uniforms, hold power and represent institutions, yet their hands are tainted, and their hearts are dead. They are not only damaging the image of their organisations, but also stealing the future of the nation’s children,” the Sultan said.

Al-Sultan Abdullah said this at the Royal Youth Discourse Programme 2026, which was also attended by his son, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah.

Also present were Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Mordi Anak Bimol, Pahang Communications and Multimedia, Youth, Sports and Non-Governmental Organisations Committee chairman Fadzli Mohamad Kamal, and Malaysian Youth Council president Mohd Izzat Afifi Abdul Hamid.

Al-Sultan Abdullah urged young people to reject corruption and abuse of power, and to rise as a generation that breaks the cycle of moral decay.

“Corruption is not a source of sustenance. It is filth. Abuse of power is not wisdom, it is poison. Illicit wealth is not success...it is a curse waiting to unfold.

“Do not bequeath to your children and grandchildren a country that is magnificent in appearance but rotten at its foundations. Do not turn Malaysia into a homeland that is rich on paper but poor in dignity,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Al-Sultan Abdullah also reminded the youth to practise self-discipline, control their emotions and understand that true strength does not lie in popularity, social media followings or the lifestyles displayed online.

“True strength lies in the ability to resist temptation, to hold firmly to principles when tested, and to choose the right path even when it is lonely and difficult,” the Sultan said.

The discourse brought together 500 participants, including leaders of youth organisations, students from institutions of higher learning and stakeholders in youth and national development.

The programme is also a strategic initiative to strengthen literacy on nationhood among the youth, particularly on the role, function and position of the Constitutional Monarchy as the cornerstone of national stability and sovereignty.

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