Bridging the gap between races

Johor unity ambassador Lim San Shien (standing) having a community discussion about issues concerning the public, as part of his role to foster better relations among the people.

AS one of the appointed unity ambassadors of Johor, Lim San Shien has always drawn inspiration from Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar.

Lim said the Johor Sultan, who has just been sworn in as the 17th King, is known for being vocal about various issues concerning the rakyat, including the topic of unity.

“Through the Ruler’s decrees and public statements, he has always advocated for peace, harmony and unity among the people regardless of our differences.

“Now that Tuanku is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, I hope that his good values will inspire all Malaysians throughout the country to become more united,” he said.

Lim, a law student currently undergoing chambering, said he was among the first batch of youths who took part in the state’s unity ambassador programme in July 2022.

Johor unity ambassador Lim San Shien leading the Rukun Negara recital during a programme recently.

“As unity ambassadors, our role is to bridge the gap between people of different races and backgrounds, as well as age groups to forge stronger ties as Johoreans and Malaysians.

“To achieve this objective, we were free to carry out programmes of our own choice such as community farming and forums.

“As youths, I believe we can play a stronger part in helping to foster stronger ties with others through various means whether it is community programmes or through social media,” said Lim.

Through his engagements with others, he noted that Bahasa Malaysia, which is the national language, is one of the best tools to unite the people.

Another unity ambassador, 27-year-old Ahsmit Singh Paranjit Singh said he was proud to be one of the first ones to be appointed in the programme.

He added that as a unity ambassador, he often had to explain to others about his own culture as there were some who did not know much about the Punjabis.

“It gave me an opportunity to share my culture with others. I usually get a lot of questions about my appearance and the festive days I observe as a Sikh.

“I will gladly explain why I wear a turban and the significance of it. People also often asked if my religion was the same as Hindu, which I will say that Sikhs like me celebrate Vaisakhi and not Deepavali like the Hindus,” said Ahsmit, who has been involved in social work for the past 14 years.

Unity ambassador Ahsmit Singh Paranjit Singh (centre) taking a photo with Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi (right) and state tourism, environment, heritage and culture committee chairman K. Raven Kumar (left) during a Bangsa Johor Deepavali programme in 2023.

He added that he has participated in various activities concerning the Sikh community as well as distributing food aid to the less privileged including during Covid-19.

He said one of his memorable experiences was helping flood victims in Kuala Krai, Kelantan, in 2014 where his team also stayed on to assist with post-flood clean ups.

Ahsmit, who works as a public relations officer at a private company, noted that Malaysia is a caring society but there were times when the country’s unity was challenged by insensitive individuals.

“I recall once, while I was a student at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, our bus broke down on the way to an event and we were all worried that we were unable to make it in time.

“Then came a factory bus where the driver offered to send us to our destination. He did not have to do it but he still went out of his way to help us; it was a touching and memorable experience for me,” he said.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old Sabariah Mohd Said, who had just been appointed as a unity ambassador on Jan 13, hopes to play a role in spreading positivity to those around her.

“Although I am from Manir, Terengganu, I believe in the Bangsa Johor spirit after studying in Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia for the past three years. The concept is one that is unique to the state.

“I am excited to be appointed as one of the second batch of unity ambassadors and I am sure I can carry the spirit with me when I return to my hometown after completing my degree in vocational education (catering),” said the aspiring teacher.

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia student Sabariah Mohd Said, 23, wants to promote unity is through sports. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

Sabariah said one of her plans to promote unity is through sports.

“Healthy activities such as team sports have the ability to bring people of various backgrounds together to strive for a common goal.

“Similarly, if Malaysians can put aside their differences and learn to be more understanding and tolerate one another, we can achieve unity and harmony without the need to dwell on sensitive topics.

“I also believe I can learn a lot of new experiences by engaging with different communities, which will be useful to me when I enter the workforce in future,” said Sabariah.

The Unity Ambassador Programme, introduced by the state government in 2022, appointed 150 ambassadors in its first batch followed by 157 in the second batch.