WITH the start of a new year, every Malaysian should resolve to make our nation a safer place where the people could work towards strengthening our inter-racial harmony and unity.
We must create more moments of unity where people from different cultures and religions could share and support each other.
Interracial tolerance and harmony could be seen in sports and during calamities and accidents when Malaysians are helping others without asking about their ethnicity or religion.
However, several incidents that have occurred this year showed how fragile our interracial harmony is where even a small matter could turn into a spark that create racial tension.
I hope these incidents would make all Malaysians tread very carefully in handling racial or religious issues as there will always be those who may exploit them for their own benefits.
This should be a year where we focus more on building up harmony and unity among all races and more programmes should be held to entice them to participate and mix around.
More efforts should also be made to foster better understanding among the people so that we can strengthen interracial harmony.
The country should not only be safe from terrorism, crime and violence but also from problems and conflicts from within. It is vital for Malaysia to continue to exist as a united and peaceful nation with political stability despite divergent political ideologies and views.
The most urgent task of ALL Malaysians is to ensure racial and religious harmony in our beloved nation.
As responsible and patriotic Malaysians, it is our profound duty to work for peace, harmony, unity and refrain from acts of provocation and violence which will result in conflict and chaos.
To prevent Malaysians from drifting apart, we, the people must be concerned about the future of our nation and be ethnic bridge builders and not ethnic heroes.
All parties should also be exposed to the Rukun Negara as well as the country's history so that they understand and respect the rights, beliefs and practices of Malaysians from various religious and ethnic backgrounds.
It should start at schools since students with better awareness and understanding of the Rukun Negara and our history will always accept the fact that Malaysia is a unique country in which its people of diverse races and religions can live safely and respect each other.
It is our duty to propagate and promote the five principles of the Rukun Negara and the positive values need to be practiced while young so that they become synonymous with the Malaysian society.
We need to remember that tolerance and respect among the ethnic groups as outlined in the Federal Constitution and Rukun Negara is the key to peace and harmony in a multiracial and religious country like Malaysia.
In the days ahead it is essential for Malaysians to take heed of one important lesson of preserving unity. Our beloved country could be destroyed if we did not maintain our interracial harmony.
All Malaysians must look beyond their own ethnic origin and be prepared to identify themselves first and last as Malaysian while striving for a truly united Malaysia.
Happy New Year to all Malaysians and let us pray for a safer and united Malaysia.
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye
Trustee Malaysian Unity Foundation