Recipe for 1Malaysia: Differences, Dissent, Demands, Diversity

Different paths but one destination: Najib Karen Arukesamy PETALING JAYA (Feb 28, 2010): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said today the media can take different paths in helping the country in nation building. Najib and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor stirring the traditonal “yee sang” at the Sin Chew Media Group Chinese New Year open house yesterday. Also present was Sin Chew Media Group chairman Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King (right). "We can take different paths because we must allow some latitude in our society. We must allow some room for differences of opinion and even dissent, but we must be conscious that we are not pulling apart this society, but we (must ensure that we) are slowly but surely bringing all Malaysians together. "... Sin Chew might take a different path... Utusan (Malaysia) might take a different path ... other papers might take a different path, but although we take different paths, we must converge and we must reach our final destination," Najib said when attending Sin Chew Daily and Guang Ming Daily’s Chinese New Year open house yesterday. Meanwhile, he said no community should make demands that will be at the expense of other communities. He said any demand made by a community should also be good for all communities as well. "Yes we can make demands, we can make statements but that should not be to the at the expense of other communities. It cannot and should not be a zero sum game," he stressed. He said if all communities can think the same, Malaysia can move towards becoming a united, harmonious and prosperous nation. "A truly united Malaysia can only happen if we believe and embrace the values that underpin the concept of 1Malaysia, which associates with the mindset to move from one paradigm to another," he said. The prime minister said all Malaysians must learn to embrace and practise total acceptance of the differences in society to be a united, harmonious and prosperous nation Saying he was carrying on the work of previous prime ministers who had also strived in their own ways to build a united, harmonious and prosperous nation, Najib said Malaysia had started with a basic paradigm – tolerance. "In the 1Malaysia concept, tolerance is just the beginning. It is time to move on to total acceptance of the differences among the multiracial society. "When we accept the diversity of the society as something unique, colourful and as our strength, then in our very minds we have moved to a higher level in nation building," he said. Acknowledging that diversity is the nation’s strength and challenge, Najib said the final apex is to celebrate that diversity. "Then we will achieve Bangsa Malaysia, the final destination of 1Malaysia," he said. -- theSun

Updated: 03:40PM Sun, 28 Feb 2010

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