KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s ability to progress and prosper within a short period of time is due to the strong unity among people of various races and religions in the country, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.
In a special message in conjunction with Deepavali this Sunday, Dr Mahathir said Malaysians for the longest time had been celebrating and embracing each other’s unique cultural and religious differences.
“We are very grateful to be able to celebrate the festive season in peace and harmony.
“There are countries in the world which are struggling with racial issues and endless power struggles.
“However, here in this country we are enjoying rapid development, with the people forging close ties regardless of races and religions.”
He said there was no other country in the world like Malaysia where its people of different races, religions and cultures live together in harmony.
“Moreover, the country has progressed and developed rapidly within a short period of time,” he said.
Dr Mahathir also called on people in the country to continue to preserve peace and harmony, and work closely with each other to achieve success in developing the country.
“This spirit must be instilled among the young and passed on to the future generations.
“This is the foundation of national unity, in which, we aspire for a just society where the prosperity of the country can be enjoyed fairly and equitably.
“It is the aspiration of the country for the rakyat to adopt an open attitude by embracing our diverse cultures,” he said.
Dr Mahathir added that although there were some quarters with malicious intent bent on disrupting national harmony, the majority of the people adopted a more rational view with greater inclination towards maintaining peace in the country.
“We are aware that there are quarters trying to disrupt harmony in the country.
“However, they only represent small groups of people.
“Many of us are mature and rational. We are more inclined towards peace.
“This is motivated by our love towards the country and that there is no other place like Malaysia,” he said.
In conjunction with Deepavali, Dr Mahathir also hoped that Malaysians would continue with the open house tradition where they could foster close relationship while enjoying peace and stability.