‘Rakyat must stress on common ground’

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GEORGE TOWN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday called on the people to stress on the common grounds between them to bolster peace, harmony and national stability.

He said the people must look for the common grounds between them instead of looking for the differences that separated them.

Najib said that as an example, although there were differences in interpretations such as the concept of God in Islam and Christianity, this should not be used as the basis for disputes that could divide the communities.

“Islam and Christianity are two of the largest religions in the world. These two religions can be said to have common origins, they have a common beginning, that is, the religions were propagated by the Prophet Abraham.

“Although in terms of faith, we have our differences, for example, the concept of God. In Islam the concept of God is quite different. But if we are always quarrelling on this, then we will be distancing the Muslims from the Christians,” he said when officiating the Christmas Open House 2013 at the national level, organised by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, here.

Also present at the event were Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Najib said that as the Prime Minister, he strongly emphasised on the aspects of peace, harmony and stability and that he was deeply committed to do anything to defend these three aspects.

“I had mentioned before that I am not interested in winning an argument. I’m only concerned about preserving peace, harmony and stability in this country. This is my responsibility as Malaysia’s prime minister.

“We must understand the sensitivities between one community and another, and when we understand the sensitivities between one another, then we should not do anything to offend the other communities. The Muslims should not offend the Christians, likewise, the Christians should not offend the Muslims,” he said.

He said the open house concept that was being practised was not merely to celebrate a particular festival but it was a medium for the people in this country to share and understand the customs and culture of a particular community.

Najib said the open house concept enabled the people to share the opportunities available that encompassed prosperity.

He said the open house could also become the curtain raiser for the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 programme and promote further the country’s tourism industry.

The Prime Minister believed that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture helmed by Mohamed Nazri was ready to implement the programmes drawn up and the federal government was ready to cooperate with the state government to boost the tourism industry.

“An important thing that we need to remind ourselves is that if we work together we can achieve the biggest potentials for Malaysia,” he added. — Bernama