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Budget 2024: Thirukkural quote wows Dewan Rakyat

KOUSALYA SELVAM
By KOUSALYA SELVAM
13 Oct 2023 07:09pm
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. - FILE PIX
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. - FILE PIX

KUALA LUMPUR - The Dewan Rakyat was treated to a surprise today when Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recited a famous Thirukkural (Tamil sacred couplets) during his tabling of Budget 2024.

Anwar quoted the Thirukkural "Iyatralum Eettalum Kaatthalum Kaattha Vaguthalum Vallathu Arasu" as an introduction to the segment on improving the people's standard of living.

The quote means that a king is capable of great things, namely increasing wealth from various sources and protecting the wealth for the country.

"People who are capable of advancing (wealth from various source of income), gather (wealth from that income in a centre), protect (the accumulated wealth), and manage the expenditure of that protected wealth (in a beneficial way), is the King," Anwar said.

This certainly gained the attention of the Members of Parliament, who lauded his intention to cite the Thirukkural, which is well-known among Indians.

The Thirukkural is an ancient classic Tamil literature written by the greatest poet Thiruvalluvar over 2,000 years ago.

It talks about morality and virtues of an individual, regardless of their social status, and is applicable to all ages.

The word "Thirukkural" is a combination of two words: "Thiru," which means "Honorable" in Tamil, and "Kural," which means "Short and Precise."

THIRUKKURAL
MALAYSIA
ANWAR IBRAHIM
budget 2024
PARLIAMENT
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