LETTERS: In his sermon last Friday, the imam reminded us that to be an independent country is a gift bestowed by God. We enjoy peace and harmony in a society with many religions, races and cultures in this great nation of ours.
In that sense, our independence should not be taken for granted. Hopefully, "Malaysia Cares", the theme for this year's National Day celebration, will help take us in the right direction.
In previous years, parades involving a multitude of contingents would be held, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there will be none this year.
The precautions taken to curb the coronavirus are part of the new normal. The resolve is for everybody to combat the pandemic.
The resolve of the people before Merdeka was to free the nation from our subjugators. We are grateful for the sacrifices made by our forefathers. They faced many challenges, including the communist threat and the Indonesian confrontation. The rakyat must be united and work together for a better Malaysia. Looking back, we can learn from the unity displayed by the Muhajirin and Ansar communities during Prophet Muhammad's time.
The group living in Madinah welcomed the other group that came to the city to make it their home. Both communities helped each other so that peace and harmony could be preserved and enhanced.
Regretfully, we continue to hear voices of division, trying to split us as a united country. Messages of hate are spreading again on social media. Our beloved nation is rich in resources. Let us share the benefits together. Just like we must ensure that we observe all the regulations and standard operating procedures to contain Covid-19, we must also observe the Federal Constitution and Rukun Negara at all times. Incidentally, this year marks the 50th anniversary of Rukun Negara.
In view of our 63rd independence anniversary today, I wish all Malaysians "Selamat Hari Merdeka".
SALEH MOHAMMED
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times