By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
PUTRAJAYA, July 7 – The Prime Minister today stressed that all Malaysians regardless of race, religion, background should be able to call Malaysia their home and spelled out acceptance, social justice and the nation’s constitution as hallmarks of the concept.
“We should have one dream, one people, one Malaysia…I want all Malaysians to feel that they have the rightful place under the Malaysian sun,” he said today.
Datuk Sri Najib Razak said that 1 Malaysia is a reflection of the national constitution and national principles and rejected claims by the opposition that the 1 Malaysia concept is pirated from DAP’s Malaysian Malaysia.
Najib also stressed that 1 Malaysia would see the introduction of policies that provide social justice and equality.
The government will provide aid and scholarship according to the social economic background of all races, he said.
“We will introduce policies which are equal for all and eradicate poverty regardless of race. If they ask for help, they want help then the government will help,” he said in his address at “An Evening with the Prime Minister” organised by Bakti (Welfare Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers).at Sri Satria, here, today. Also present was Najib’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who is also the president of Bakti.
Najib said that Malaysians must stop tolerating and begin accepting each other because only through acceptance can the nation prosper and become developed.
“We must begin to accept and not only tolerate because tolerance is a concept of not wholeheartedly accepting or grudgingly accepting. Acceptance is a better concept and we must begin to accept that we are a plural and multi racial country,” he said.
Najib added Malaysians must take advantage of the country’s multiracial society in fostering relationships with economic powers in the region and making Malaysia the gateway to Asia.
He said that the country can have an economic advantage with China and India with the Chinese and Indian communities in Malaysia and also encourage investments from the Middle East because Malaysia is a Muslim nation.
“1 Malaysia is not rigid, it is something that is not cast in stone but it is a national discussion. We will incorporate other views and opinions,” he said, adding: “It is a strategic ambiguity.”
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