Highlight Equality, Celebrate Diversity To Enrich Unity - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has urged Malaysians to always enrich the spirit of unity by highlighting equality and celebrating the existing diversity.

He invited the people to together build the country based on the unity they have enjoyed all this while.

"Let us together build this country with open hearts in the name of unity, take along all that is good and leave out the bad," the prime minister said his in message in conjunction Maulidur Rasul 1436 Hijrah (Prophet Muhammad's birthday) which was uploaded on his www.najibrazak.com website, Friday.

Prophet Muhammad's birtday will be celebrated Saturday.

In exalting the greatness of Islam in Malaysia, Najib said Muslims should make the struggle to strengthen Islamic faith and teachings espoused by Prophet Muhammad as the main agenda in their daily lives.

At the government level, Najib said the commitment was proven by the development of the Shariah Index which will be measuring the government's commitment to implement policies based on the principles, values and systems of Islam across a range of sectors.

"This initiative is hoped will make governance more towards the practices and the teachings of the Prophet in our efforts to meet the demand for the tenets of Islam to be enhanced.

"The result will be the birth of a country and people well-balanced and excellent in terms of progress, mastery of knowledge and skills while at the same time virtuous and with good self-esteem as Malaysian citizens," Najib said.

He hoped that the efforts to apply Islam in administering the nation would make Malaysia a more prosperous and blessed country.

"May the celebration of Maulidur Rasul this time continue to arouse passion and empowers us to emulate the Prophet and practice his teachings to be successful in the world and in the hereafter," he said.

At the same time, the prime minister urged Malaysians to fortify themselves with patience and acceptance especially in facing the unusual floods in the country.

He hoped that the efforts of the government would in some way help ease the burden of the victims affected by the disaster.

"And at the same time we continue to pray for our country to be always blessed by Allah," he said.

--BERNAMA