Rafidah: Malaysia must also develop its soul

PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz has urged Malaysians to look beyond numbers and statistics in proving that the country is on its way to reaching developed nation status in 2020.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the former Cabinet member said it is far more important to enhance the soul of Malaysia, which is its people.

“It will be our nation's soul that will determine the character of Malaysia of the future,” she said.

Rafidah said that to enhance the soul of the nation for the future, the youth of today have to be nurtured to have values, principles, mindsets, attitudes, norms, perception, views, motivation, behaviour and action.

“They (youth) can move Malaysia on to a higher level of success ... make Malaysia a nation that earns the respect of the global community,” she said.

Rafidah also said that it is pointless to speculate what Malaysia will be in the future.

“(Malaysia) will emerge out of what we of this generation and successive generations put into our society and economy.

“These include the basic institution in society, family, politics, economic institutions, business sectors, institutions entrusted with ensuring law and order and civil society institutions,” she said.

She also said that Malaysia today can be proud of its strong economic foundation which has seen the country go through various crises.

“Those fundamentals took effort to forge and sustain with continuous fine-tuning as and when circumstances dictated.

“And those who took charge of governing the systems in the economic structure of the nation assumed their roles and responsibilities as expected ... without fear or favour ... and solely in the interest of the nation,” she said.

Rafidah insisted that the same culture of public service in political, economic and social governance must be sustained and perpetuated and further strengthened.