KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s three consecutive celebrations — the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Sea Games, 60th National Day and Hari Raya Aidiladha — have captured the spirit of becoming a successful nation.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the essence of the Aidiladha celebrations was about the lessons learnt from the sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail in obeying God’s command.
“The meaning of sacrifice may differ from one person to another. For example, our Sea Games athletes have sacrificed time and energy to raise Malaysia’s status in sports, while we would not be able to celebrate the 60th Merdeka without the sacrifices of our warriors in the past,” he said in his blog today.
Due to these sacrifices, Najib said, Malaysia was able to achieve success in the Sea Games as an independent country, among others.
He said sacrifice and success were inseparable, and that one could not exist without the other.
“God willing, as long as Malaysia has citizens who are willing to make sacrifices, from the smallest ones on the personal level, to being willing to lay their lives down for their beloved nation, I am confident that we will remain on the right track towards achieving the dream of a successful Malaysia.
“This is the true meaning of sacrifice and success,” he said.
Najib recapped the three memorable events, which included Malaysia winning the most number of gold medals beyond its target, indicating a bright future for Malaysian sports.
He also praised the Youth and Sports Ministry and other ministries involved in ensuring the success for the games, as well as paying tribute to volunteers and supporters of the national contingent.
This was followed by the momentous Merdeka day parade that reflected the country’s success of nation-building efforts that came with the sacrifices of past leaders .