RM38m bill for 1 Malaysia ‘activities’
KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — The Najib administration spent RM38 million last year on 1 Malaysia programmes aimed at fostering interracial unity, Datuk T. Murugiah has said.
He said the 191,709 activities held to support Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s concept had been well-received by 6.2 million Malaysians of all races.
But Murugiah, a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, cautioned there was more to be done to ensure greater buy-in from the people.
“It (the concept) has yet to be accepted fully and we have not achieved our target but we’re working on it. That’s why we had more activities,” he said.
He was responding to a supplementary question in Parliament today from Sri Gading MP Datuk Mohamed Aziz.
Kubang Kerian MP Salahuddin Ayub had earlier expressed doubt that the 1 Malaysia slogan was sufficient to foster unity among the people.
He cited the government’s promotion of contrary policies, like the retention of the controversial “Interlok” novel and the National Civics Bureau (BTN).
Murugiah replied that the slogan could not be a solution to every problem and stressed that the government has also instituted a system of mediation to resolve racial disputes.
“This system allows us to train community leaders as mediators whenever racial problems arise,” he said.
“That’s why Najib introduced this concept on the first day he became prime minister.”
