KUALA LUMPUR – Personal interests, political differences, and growing hostilities can lead to disunity among members of “Keluarga Malaysia”.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said while politics should be a platform of unification, political differences can also cause separation.
He said this is a huge challenge that needs to be tackled, not only by leaders but also by all members of “Keluarga Malaysia”, to ensure long-term stability in the country.
“If the country is (politically) unstable, certain quarters, either domestic or foreign, will try to take advantage to continue destroying the prevailing unity we have,” he said when virtually opening the National Unity Congress today.
Ismail Sabri said racial unity has existed for a long time in Malaysia, as the principle had been preserved among the people in the spirit of goodwill and harmony, to the extent of being an exemplary model for other communities in the world.
Therefore, Ismail Sabri said when he took over as prime minister, the government had taken the initiative to sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on transformation and political stability with Pakatan Harapan on Sept 13.
He said this was to enable all quarters in “Keluarga Malaysia”, regardless of the political beliefs, to stay united and work together in facing the twin health and economic crises spawned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri expressed hope that every member of the family would practise mutual respect and to refrain from raising and discussing sensitive issues.
“Avoid everything that could cause disunity such as libel and slander, rumours and prejudice. Check and double-check everything that we heard before believing it and always appreciate the value of unity,” he said.
Ismail Sabri also expressed appreciation for the organising of the National Unity Congress, aimed at paving the way to stronger unity in “Keluarga Malaysia” and realising the aspiration to cement closer ties between leaders and the people.
In fact, he said such events should be emulated by all segments to strengthen racial unity and harmony for the wellbeing of the people and the country's stability.
“It is also in line with the concept of “Keluarga Malaysia” introduced by the government to solidify racial and religious harmony,” he said.
Themed “Racial Unity Basis of National Wellbeing”, the virtual congress was co-organised by Rabitah International Alumni of Al-Azhar Malaysia and the University of Malaya’s Academy of Islamic Studies, and in cooperation with the National Unity Ministry and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim).
Over 1,000 individuals comprising academicians, community leaders, religious scholars as well as local and foreign students including from Egypt, are taking part in the two-day congress beginning today.
In his speech, Ismail Sabri also expressed hope that the congress could become a platform for knowledge-sharing among participants and a means to reassess aspects of unity in the country, in addition to finding the best mechanism to tackle racial issues in tandem with current challenges.
“Closer cooperation among the scholars and political leaders is very much needed to derive the best formula to preserve the unity and harmony we currently have for future generations,” he added. – Bernama, December 18, 2021
