KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today said he intends to continue defending the right of Malaysians to practice their respective religions as enshrined in the constitution.
In a Facebook post today, Najib said: “Our Constitution states that every person has the right to profess and practice their religious beliefs in peace and harmony regardless of their faith, be it Islam, Christianity, Buddhism or Hinduism and many more. It is a right that I will continue to defend for all Malaysians.”
Najib, who was commenting on the 9th day of Chinese New Year, which is also known as 'Bai Tian Gong' said that diversity is the nation’s greatest strength.
“Here in Malaysia, our diversity is not only celebrated, it is a right enjoyed by all segments of society,” he said.
He said that the nation is blessed to have a plethora of festivities to be celebrated together.
“The Chinese community is the second largest ethnic group in the country, making up 23.4% of the population.
“The traditions they brought along from their ancestors’ homeland are now uniquely adapted and celebrated together by us as a nation. The festivities, faiths and traditions each community brought with them all make up who we are as a nation. A nation that celebrates and embraces diversity,” he added.
Najib had also called on those celebrating to enjoy the festival.
'Bai Tian Gong', is one of the most important celebrations for the Chinese community, especially for the Hokkien.
He also asked the public if they knew that the Hokkien celebrated the day with more grandeur than the first day of Chinese New Year itself.