KUCHING: Even though Malaysia Day this year falls amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, it must be remembered that only unity, harmony and understanding among the people of Sarawak, Sabah, and Malaya will bind all together as one people, said Wilfred Yap.
The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Kota Sentosa branch chairman cum SUPP Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) chief pointed out that Sarawakians prided themselves on being a uniquely harmonious and multiracial society.
“However, maintaining racial and religious harmony is a continuous process and needs to be continuously refreshed, reaffirmed and reinforced,” he said in a statement yesterday in conjunction with Malaysia Day today.
He noted that a recent suggestion by a federal deputy minister on the proposed introduction of several Syariah Bills in Parliament had gained wide publicity, amplified by social media.
“Thankfully, the incident is not the norm but it illustrates how issues of race and religion will always be highly emotive and can easily divide us.
“We must be sensitive towards the feelings of all segments of our diverse communities and never forget that the social and religious harmony that we currently enjoy did not result from every group stridently insisting on its identity and rights — but was the fruit of mutual understanding and compromise by all stakeholders,” he said.
Wishing all Malaysians ‘Selamat Menyambut Hari Malaysia’, Yap urged all to strive to enhance the spirit of patriotism and love for Malaysia as they celebrated Malaysia Day.
“Let us all recommit ourselves to our ‘Keluarga Malaysia’ or Malaysia Family within the context and with emphasis on the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 as envisaged by our founding fathers,” he said.
