THE peace that our country enjoys is as a result of the contribution and sacrifices by our Royal Malaysia Police Force and Armed Forces personnel and other patriots in upholding the sovereignty of our country in our fight against the Communist Party of Malaya during the first and second Emergency. We are now enjoying the fruits of their labour.
Our country has come a long way to being what we are today in terms of development and economic stabilty. We pride ourselves in being Malaysians. We should not put to waste the sacrifices made by our heroes for what we are enjoying today. Do not take peace for granted.
However, recent events do not augur well for the country. The main fabric of a harmonised 1Malaysia has been trampled upon. Race and religious sensitivities are being spewed out daily.
Our country is also faced with the threat of the Islamic State, which is very real. It is not about who had the bigger numbers or whether there were more yellow or red shirts in the rally. I fear for the worst and worry that the “time bomb” will explode. This must stop now.
Respect should be our battle cry now. Malaysians must respect each other as Malaysians. Respect must be earned and not demanded. For the sake of peace and stability for our beloved nation, we must come to terms with the fact that we need each other to move forward. We did it when we achieved our independence and we definitely can do it now.
n DATUK WEE BENG GEE, Petaling Jaya, Selangor