Cabinet members urge Malaysians to strengthen unity and preserve harmony

Malaysia’s Cabinet members turned National Day greetings into a call for citizens to protect the unity that ministers described as the country’s strength.

Law and Institutional Reform Minister Azalina Othman Said said inherited independence required solidarity, mutual respect and cooperation across ethnic, religious and social lines. “Malaysia’s strength has always rested on its united people,” she said in a Facebook post, while expressing hope that the country would continue to enjoy peace, prosperity and progress.

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Malaysia’s strength has always rested on its united people.

Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Aug. 31 offered Malaysians a chance to reflect on the country’s long journey. Earlier generations had fought for an independent nation 69 years ago, he said, and the responsibility for maintaining peace and harmony now rested with the public. “We may differ in race, religion and background, but we share one homeland and one feeling of love for Malaysia,” he said.

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We may differ in race, religion and background, but we share one homeland and one feeling of love for Malaysia.

Public Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said National Day was more than a commemoration of independence. It was also a chance to appreciate life in a peaceful, multiracial country rich in diversity. “From the cities to the most remote villages, from the peninsula to Sabah and Sarawak, we all share the same homeland and the same future,” he said, urging Malaysians to help build a more advanced, prosperous and inclusive country.

Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Hasan said true independence involved faith, sacrifice and visible justice for all citizens. Referring to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s National Day message, he recalled earlier national figures including first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and independence fighter Burhanuddin Al-Helmy, as well as writer A. Samad Said’s reflections on learning to live together.

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From the cities to the most remote villages, from the peninsula to Sabah and Sarawak, we all share the same homeland and the same future.