KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia Day is a time for its citizens to celebrate the country's formation on Sept 16, 1963 with loyalty, unity and a heightened spirit of patriotism, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
In his Malaysia Day message issued on Sunday (Sept 15), the National Unity Advisory Council member said such occasions should be accompanied by programmes that encourage the people to turn up and celebrate the nation's diversity.
He said Malaysians of different ethnicities must always be aware of the need for mutual respect.
They should always keep their fellow Malaysians' respective religious and cultural sensitivities in mind for the sake of harmony, he added.
"I hope for a Malaysia where the concept of justice for all is real, where no group is marginalised, and where support and opportunities are provided based on need and merit.
"This is also my wish for a Malaysia where we accept the diversity of our ethnicities, religions and beliefs by being inclusive and building respect, with mutual acceptance as the basis of trust and strong unity," he said.
Lee urged the people to always be proud to identify themselves as Malaysians first and not primarily by race, religion, geography, or socio-economic background.
"We are faced with various challenges... (to) national unity. But to this day, we still maintain our sense of unity... to continue to stand as an entity that we are proud of, as a Malaysian people," he added.
