Let’s all continue to strengthen unity as we mark National Day

The month of August is of utmost significance to all Malaysians in our year-long calendar.

It is the month for all of us to commemorate our independence. Most if not all Malaysians can’t help but feel a sense of patriotism as National Day (31st August) draws near.

It will be a smaller budget for the 51st Merdeka Celebration when compared to the previous years in view of the present austerity drive necessitated by the present volatile economic situation.

Despite a significant drop in its budget, the 51st Merdeka anniversary should remain a spirited event to help remind Malaysians the significance of the 51st Merdeka celebration.

We have been independent for 51 years. Although the Malaysian nation may not be perfect, it has weathered many storms and laid the foundation for the attainment of racial harmony, and unity which many other countries, including the developed ones, are envious of.

Let us not jeopardise what we have achieved so far through the spirit of understanding and accommodation. Let us not allow extremism and violence in whatever form divide the nation which we all love and care for as this is our birthplace, our home, our workplace and eventually our final rest destination.

As Malaysians of all races commemorate another anniversary of our independence allow me to stress once again the every fundamentals that have brought us together which are the very principles contained in the Rukunegara.

The Rukunegara is our guide for nation-building and should be respected by all. It is a shared vision for national unity. Its principles should always be upheld and practiced for we must never take for granted the stability, peace and harmony we have attained so far.

Many people are taking unity for granted. This is not a healthy development for in a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural country like Malaysia, continuous efforts must be made by all Malaysians to nurture and reinforce unity.

Malaysians must be prepared to reduce their strong sense of ethnicity in order to achieve “Bangsa Malaysia”. Malaysians should start accepting each other as Malaysians regardless or race and religion and should not be preoccupied with ethnic origin.
Although ethnic relations in the country are generally satisfactory, we must certainly not take our inter-racial and inter-religious harmony for granted. Malaysians of different ethnic origin must always be conscious of the need to have mutual respect for one another.

They must always remain vigilant and be conscious of the sensitivities of our respective religions and cultures for the sake of inter-racial harmony.

The recent incident of racial remarks uttered by a Tamil school teacher to students in one of our schools in Selangor is deeply regretted and should not have happened in the first place.

The process of establishing a united Malaysian nation is a continuous one, and what has been achieved so far must be nurtured and reinforced.

Unity is a priceless gift and a symbol of our humanity. It is the foundation upon which we build relationships, families, communities and a nation. It is the bond that seals our nationhood.

Unity must first start with the individual. If there is unity in a person’s thoughts, emotions and actions, it will be reflected in how they treat others.

Let us include every Malaysian in the building of unity. We must start speaking with one voice, one that is inclusive of Malaysians of every ethnic background. We all contribute to the stability and economic prosperity of his country. Let us all be committed to promote a culture of peace, harmony and unity.

Unity can be a fragile thread that breaks easily. Or it can be a powerful anchor that holds steady the nation. The choice is ours to make.