KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- Likening unity to a bridge that connects the people and disunity to walls that divide them, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak tonight urged the people to restore the bridge and tear down the walls that separate them.
Addressing the nation in his first National Day message as prime minister, Najib said the passing of time had witnessed the bridge, which was painstakingly built by the nation's forefathers, now shaken by certain quarters that attempted to disrupt the peace.
Najib said these groups were exploiting the fine lines that existed in a multi-ethnic society, be it political, religious or social, to serve their own warped agenda.
Noting that the biggest challenge facing Malaysians was to restore the bridge and demolish the walls what separated them, Najib said the people should continue to manage success, building upon what the country had achieved "by cultivating the principles we have long nurtured".
"Let us remember that what we now enjoy may not become better, instead it may deteriorate if neglected.
"The proof is in the world's history, where poorly managed success ends in failure," he said in the message in conjunction with Malaysia's 52nd Independence Day aired over national television Sunday night.
He also called on the people, especially the younger generation, to be mindful of the fact that the good fortune enjoyed by the country today did not come without careful planning, efficient implementation of policies and great sacrifice.
"Clearly, the success and prosperity of Malaysia all this while grew and developed out of the contribution and support of the people of all races, all religious beliefs, all walks of life, whether in rural or urban areas, whether the haves or have-nots, old or young," he said.
Najib said that each and every citizen of the country had equal opportunity under the Malaysian sky and that the only barrier to individual achievements was the lack of will to succeed, willingness to work hard, and the courage to take risks.
Najib also spoke of the country's history after gaining independence.
He said many had predicted a pending demise of Malaya as the government had limited administrative experience, amid the still-unabated communist upheaval, while socio-economic imbalance grew and spread, reinforced by the multi-ethnicity of the young nation.
"Despite the predictions, we have proven the sceptics wrong. In the five decades since our independence we have emerged among the leaders of the developing nations.
"We became the first country in the world to defeat the communist insurgency and brought social justice through a sense of equal ownership within a short period of a mere two generations," he said.
The prime minister said the underlying secret to this success was none other than unity among the people of various ethnicity and beliefs, and the conviction to the philosophy of celebrating diversity as a source of strength rather than "a point of discord that causes disunity".
Najib said that throughout the over 50 years of Malaysia's nationhood, the country had faced numerous milestones, and all of them were met for better or for worse with a united spirit.
"Beginning from the bitter chapter of the Bintang Tiga brutality, the monumental need to create meaning to our independence which was gained without bloodshed, socio-economic imbalance, ethnic discord on May 13, 1969, the economic downturn of the 80's and the Asian economic crisis at the end of the 90's. All of these were confronted and we survived all," he said.
He reminded the people, that they, however, could not afford to rely on the nostalgic past or rest upon their laurels without striving to create new successes.
To ensure that tomorrow would be better than today, Najib said, the government had introduced more effective policies that would propel the country forward towards becoming a developed nation.
Among them, he said, was the introduction of the 1Malaysia concept based on the Federal Constitution and Rukun Negara as the foundation for the government's goals.
"We do not stop at setting a mission statement, instead we have constructed concrete initiatives.
"Starting with efforts to overhaul the public service delivery system, promoting the public welfare agenda as a government priority leads to efforts to stimulate the national economy," he said.
The prime minister also called on the people to reignite the spirit of patriotism "by dedicating our efforts to stimulate the national economy so that continuous prosperity can be enjoyed by the country and its people".
Tomorrow is Malaysia's 52nd Independence Day and the theme for this year's celebrations is "1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now."
"Let us ensure the hallowed banner of our Jalur Gemilang flies proud in the eyes of the world. Together, let us pray for this noble journey to continue, blessed and guided by God," Najib said.
No comments:
Post a Comment