GEORGE TOWN: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad fears that a greater gap in wealth between the rich and poor could lead to chaos in the country.
He said that wealth must be distributed fairly among the different races in the country and he believed that only then the country could prosper.
“Never liken one’s racial identity with people who are rich or poor. That is dangerous segregation.
“We dream big, to become a developed country.
“Now it may be too late, but I am confident that if we focus on unity among the people, we can achieve developed country (status) by the year 2025.
“Although this is a bit late, it is better than not achieving it at all,” he said while stressing that the government was taking necessary steps to bridge the gap between races.
He was delivering his keynote speech today at the state level Perhimpunan Perdana Perpaduan 2019 held at Dewan Sri Pinang here today.
He said people in the country should be grateful that there were no major clashes between the main races, like how it happens in other parts of the world.
He cited as an example United States (US) President Donald Trump who built walls at the border to separate the people of south America.
He also said people should be thankful that Malaysia was protected from major natural disasters such as earthquake.
“There are typhoons in the east hitting the Philippines but Malaysia remains safe. We were hit by tsunami too, but we were not hit as hard as Acheh.
“With the safety that we are enjoying, we must work hard to ensure the country is safe and work together (between races) to develop the country,” he added.
Also present during the gathering were Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and Persatuan Melayu Pulau Pinang (PEMENANG) president Tan Sri Mohd Yusoff Latiff.
About 20 non-governmental organisations comprising all races joined the annual gathering held in the state.