KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Kuala Lumpur Summit (KL Summit) 2019 is set to take place in this Malaysian capital this morning, with issues affecting the Muslim community being up for discussion among its participants who will also seek to address them.
The event at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) will be presided over by Prime Minister and KL Summit chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah is scheduled to deliver a royal address at the opening of the conference.
The KL meeting kicked off last night with a welcoming dinner during which Dr Mahathir said the summit is being held as it is felt that something has to be done to improve the lives of Muslims the world over.
He was hopeful that the summit will be able to affirm a number of specific initiatives that can be the catalyst to bigger things for Muslims.
The participants of the summit, which carries the theme ‘The Role of Development in Achieving National Sovereignty’, comprise thinkers, intellectuals, politicians and community leaders.
With some 450 delegates from 56 countries of the Islamic world present, issues such as the rise of Islamophobia, the incarceration of Muslims around the globe and mass migration of Muslims due to civil wars are expected to be highlighted at the conference.
The summit will focus on seven main thrusts, namely national development and sovereignty; integrity and good governance; culture and identity; justice and freedom; peace, security and defence; trade and investment; as well as technology and Internet governance.
Close to 800 local and international media practitioners are in town to cover the summit that runs until Saturday.