KOTA KINABALU: National Day celebrations should be a unifying agent, not a platform for discord.
Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) division chief for Darau, Datuk Mohammed Razali Razi said the people should use these celebrations to bring unity and foster peace and harmony.
“Do not use these celebrations to bring disunity although we are facing various issues,” he said in referring to a growing online movement with the ‘No Justice, No Merdeka’ slogan linked to the Zara Qairina Mahathir’s death case.
He said while it was understandable for the community to ask for justice, there should be a right time and place for everything.
Razali said as Malaysians, all have the duty to preserve peace and harmony, more so during this National Month.
“The National Day is an important date to foster togetherness. Do not move the focus elsewhere till we forget the real meaning of independence,” he said.
He said this after a flag distribution programme at the Menggatal town area near here, Tuesday (Aug 26).
Asked about the recent upside down flag issue in Peninsular Malaysia, Razali said the people of Sabah were a respectful, tolerant and peaceful community who would rather focus on the positive rather than the negative.
“In Sabah, we put more emphasis on harmony. Seldom would people want to bring up issues that would cause discord,” he said.
He said living in a multicultural society like Sabah made its people more tolerant, respectful and more understanding of one another’s differences.
“Everyone in this country should emulate our spirit of tolerance, respect, peace and harmony that the people of Sabah truly enjoy and embrace,” Razali added.
