KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians have been urged to reject any form of extremism as it could divide the nation and destroy the country.
1Malaysia Foundation trustee Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the government should reinforce its efforts to strengthen unity among Malaysians of various ethnicities, cultures and religions.
In conjunction with Malaysia’s 60th National Day, he said the government should re-evaluate the effectiveness and success of the relevant policies and programmes for unity.
“The Merdeka celebration this year is very important as it allows us to re-examine and assess what we have achieved after 60 years and make new plans for years to come.
“We have to strengthen unity and harmony among the people of various backgrounds for the sake of our future generations. No matter who we are, every Malaysian must fulfill his or her responsibility to strengthen unity as espoused by the theme of this year’s Merdeka celebrations – Negaraku, Sehati Sejiwa,” he said.
He said the importance of celebrating National Day every year is essential as it helps to show the younger generations to learn and appreciate the sacrifice made by the forefathers to help free the country from foreign invasion.
“Building a country is a long and arduous process. Apart from advocating justice and transparency, it requires a strong leadership,” he said.