By Afiezul Samit & Nuruldayana Rafiee
KUCHING: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) senior lecturer Dr Suffian Mansor has urged all Malaysians to protect the Malaysian flag, Jalur Gemilang, because it is the identity of the nation.
“When we love our country, we will also make it more prosperous but if we don’t love our country, everything along with the prosperity and the harmony will be gone.
“That is why we need to fully understand the meaning of independence. We have to protect the country and develop it as well. We have to respect its leaders, its symbol and identity,” he said in an interview with Suara Sarawak recently.
On the challenges facing the nation, Suffian said there were many due to influences from outside following the advancement of technology which was abused by some quarters and led to a negative perception of Malaysia.
He pointed out that Malaysia had fared better compared to other neighbouring countries except for Singapore and Brunei.
“We have achieved a lot. We often forget we are also advanced in certain things such as education, economy and innovation. But when we compare ourselves to western countries, we feel less confident. We should discard such feelings of low self-esteem,” said Suffian.
