PRAYER FOR SELANGOR
Introduction:
The most populous state in Malaysia, Selangor, is home to 20% of the population.
1 The dynamically robust, urbanised and relatively wealthy area of Klang Valley is situated here, making Selangor the largest contributor to the national Gross Domestic Product
2. There is marked difference in the hinterland, however, where smaller-scaled economies co-exist with rural communities practising age-old subsistence livelihood. After the serious interruption of all social, economic and political life during the Movement Control Order which began in March 2020 and lasted for 22 months, Selangor is recovering its momentum as the economy gradually reopens. Its honorific Darul Ehsan means Abode of Sincerity in Arabic.
1. The People and Demographics
Population: In 2015, its population was 5,874,100
Ethnic groups: Malays 55.8%; Chinese 28.6%; Indian 13.6%; Others 2%
There are 63,000 non-Malay bumiputeras, of which 38% are Muslims and 37% are Christians, living in Selangor.
2. The Economy
The economy of Selangor is a progressive market economy whose core sectors are commerce and agriculture.
Commerce, industry and services are a major contributor to the economy of Selangor, accounting for over 58% of the state’s GDP. Several industrial sites produce electronic goods, chemicals and vehicles including Proton and Perodua cars. Imported vehicles from manufacturers including Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen and BMW Motors are also assembled in Selangor.
Many international manufacturing companies have set up bases here.
Agriculture, a thriving sector of Selangor’s economy, contributes 1.4% of the state’s GDP. Significant crops grown in the state are star fruits, papayas and bananas.
Selangor is not a major producer of rice; however, paddy fields exist in Kuala Selangor and Sabak Bernam. Other agricultural activities in the state include the establishment of oil palm and rubber plantation sites.
3. The Government of Selangor is currently under Pakatan Harapan with 40 seats (PKR 19, DAP 15, Amanah 6) with support from Pejuang 3 and Warisan 1.
The Opposition is made up of BN 5, Bersatu 4, PAS 1 and PBM 2.
4. Administrative Districts: 9 Districts and 12 Local governments (3 Cities, 8 Municipals, 1 District)
Special zones: Klang Valley conurbation, Multimedia Super Corridor
Prayers: The State Government
• In this critical time of a possible National Election, we need to pray for the state government and its composition of political parties.
• Pray especially for unity of purpose among the state governing parties.
• Pray that godly men and women will arise to hold positions of authority.
• Pray for wisdom to be given to the present government, and for them not to take their positions for granted.
• Pray for each parliamentary constituency and state constituency to be filled by God fearing and righteous men and women.
Prayers for Administrative Districts
Sabak Bernam & Kuala Selangor
• More young people to return to bolster the slow economy and build up the church.
Hulu Selangor & Gombak
• The digital divide during the pandemic has seen Orang Asli children dropping out of school due to lack of access to internet and connection hardware. Pray that this gap will be bridged.
Petaling & Klang
• Many factories are in these areas. We need to pray for migrant workers, especially their working conditions and injustice shown towards them.
• Recent floods have devastated this area. Buildings, infrastructure and supply chains have all been affected. There is a real need to look into the drainage and irrigation system of many parts of these 2 districts and into the low-lying areas of Klang.
• Pray for urgent attention to be given to prevent landslides, soil erosion and flood mitigation schemes; and for a concerted effort to learn from the recent flood experience.
• Pray for many to have an increase of spiritual hunger during difficult times and for the churches in these areas to be able to respond.
Kuala Langat, Sepang, Hulu Langat
• Water pollution of the Langat River treatment plant has plagued Selangor on multiple occasions in recent memory.
• The Langat river burst its banks in December 2021, causing massive flooding and destruction of many homes and livelihood. May this body of water be restored to bring life, healing and blessing to the inhabitants around it!
GENERAL PRAYER
Father, we thank You for this beautiful state of Selangor, and have given us this land as our heritage and legacy for our children. Thank you for marking out the times and boundaries where we ought to live, have our livelihood and be a blessing (Acts 17:26). Thank you for blessing Selangor with an abundance of resources, strong infrastructure and a good standard of living. Thank you that this strong economic foundation came from Your blessing to our forefathers who have laboured and worked the land, and passed it on to the next generations.
Forgive us when we have become proud, careless and have taken for granted the blessings we enjoy. Forgive us for being poor stewards of the abundance You have given us. Forgive our tidak-apa (lackadaisical) attitude at the sins around us – when we tolerated corruption and injustice as long as it did not directly affect us. Forgive our selfishness of seeking only our own benefit above all others. Forgive our narrow-mindedness when we turned a blind eye to the suffering of others. Forgive us for listening to the lies that divide us along ethnic and cultural lines.
Forgive us for neglecting the treasures of nature; and our greed as we have wantonly stripped our land of its precious resources, leading to ecological disasters and untold misery for thousands of unfortunate ones. Lord, we acknowledge and confess our sin. We seek Your mercy upon us, and the grace from You so we can turn from our wicked ways. Let Your healing come upon our land, rivers, hills and mountains. Oh Lord, may You lift the curses inflicted upon us and remove the causes therein (Proverbs 26:2). Would you cleanse us so thoroughly that we will not harbour any ill-feelings, have negative thoughts against our brothers and sisters, against those ethnically and culturally different from us, and against those whose rule and authority are over us. Let us be so totally pure before You in thought, deed and speech, that no curse will be able to attach itself to us.
• Expose and remove the hold of witchcraft over our land.
• Train us to identify with the sins, iniquities and wounds of the land we so love.
• Teach us to cry out from the depths of our hearts and spirits to pacify the echoing pain of our land. Let us release sounds of healing, comfort, peace and joy as a balm to cover all historical wounds and hurts. No more will the injury of the past cling and fester because You have died on the Cross to set us, our families and this land free! Release Your church to arise to soothe every offence and abuse that has been inflicted.
We seek Your hand to heal our land. Let Your justice roll like a mighty river and unending stream.
We pray for the Orang Asli, the anak sulung of the land to awaken and take their place as the firstborn of the land, for You are waiting for that cry – their cry – that will pierce through the realm and reach Your throne. Yes Lord, the cry of the firstborn, let it come forth and resound across our land! Let Your anak sulung no longer be oppressed, supressed and trodden underfoot; but arise as Your might, the beginning of Your strength and vigour, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. May they arise to redig the wells of revival in our land, and together with the rest of the Church, bring in Your mighty presence and harvest!
We pray for a powerful unity of the body of Christ in Selangor so that the churches of Selangor will arise to carry out God’s Mandate over this state. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Notes:
1. https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/ctheme&menu_id=L0pheU43NWJwRWVSZklWdzQ4TlhUUT09&bul_id=Mno2WGQ3QUdmaUM3c3l0NzN0aW9tZz09
2. https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=102&bul_id=anVobldYUFZLNE5WVlRVRExkSWEyZz09&menu_id=TE5CRUZCblh4ZTZMODZIbmk2aWRRQT09
3. https://www.starproperty.my/news/the-richest-state-/119008