Sultan Abdullah says corruption and abuse of power are crimes that betray the nation, urging youth to reject moral decay and build a dignified future.
KUANTAN: The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, has declared that corruption is not a minor offence but a grave betrayal of the nation.
His Royal Highness stated that a country’s dignity is measured not by its buildings or wealth, but by the values upheld when facing the temptations of power.
He noted that many nations have fallen due to internal betrayal through corruption, abuse of power and unchecked greed, not external attacks.
“Know that corruption is not a small offence,” said Al-Sultan Abdullah at the Royal Youth Discourse Programme 2026.
“Abuse of power is not a weakness of ordinary people, it is a crime of office.”
He warned that when the law is manipulated by its guardians, the country is led to the brink of destruction.
The Sultan lamented that some in uniform and power have tainted hands and dead hearts, damaging their institutions and stealing the nation’s future.
He urged young people to reject corruption and rise as a generation that breaks the cycle of moral decay.
“Corruption is not a source of sustenance. It is filth,” he stressed.
“Abuse of power is not wisdom, it is poison. Illicit wealth is not success…it is a curse waiting to unfold.”
Al-Sultan Abdullah advised youth not to bequeath a country that is magnificent in appearance but rotten at its foundations.
He also reminded them that true strength lies in resisting temptation and holding to principles, not in social media popularity.
The discourse gathered 500 participants, including youth leaders, university students and national development stakeholders.
It is a strategic initiative to strengthen literacy on nationhood and the constitutional monarchy’s role as a cornerstone of stability.
