Govt fulfils promise to maintain racial unity — Muhyiddin
Posted on June 18, 2012, Monday
TAIPING: Maintenance of racial unity is one of the promises to the people that the Barisan Nasional government has fulfilled, besides ensuring development and economic stability, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.
He said the policies implemented by the government had successfully fostered and strengthened unity among the people of the various races and religions.
“It is our promise to the people, to the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Iban, Kadazan, Dusun and so on …. Our government has to create a situation conducive for good relations among the people.
“Cooperation and unity have been in place for more than 55 years, most successfully,” he said yesterday in his address at a gathering in conjunction with the ‘Promises Fulfilled Tour’ programme, here.
He said the cooperation and unity among the people of differing backgrounds in various sectors had made Malaysia a model for other countries.
Muhyiddin said that according to the sociological theory, a country with a multi-racial population would face problems in race relations, but added that this had not occurred in Malaysia.
He said the book ‘The Plural Society’, written by sociologist M G Smith, stated that countries with a multi-racial population would face prolonged racial problems.
“In Malaysia, we have been able to negate this theory despite the fact that Malaysians comprise people of differing customs and cultures and come from varying backgrounds,” he said.
Muhyiddin said problems arising from religious and cultural differences would have a negative impact on the government’s efforts to develop the country and bring prosperity to the people.
As such, he said, the government would not allow anyone with vested interests to cause racial uneasiness in the country.
“These people can be penalised under laws such as the Sedition Act to stop their actions so that we can live in peace,” he said.
He said the government promised to ensure maintenance of racial unity so that it could implement its plans for the people’s well-being.
He also said the government was committed to implementing its agenda of development for the people regardless of race and background. — Bernama
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