PENAMPANG: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that he will not compromise on the need to preserve the security and unity of all Malaysians, emphasising the importance of standing together.
Anwar stressed that the people must not underestimate the forces that threaten the nation’s security and unity with narrow views of specific race or religion, which are damaging to the fabric of the country.
“That is why I made it very clear that as long as this government persist with the cooperation of the state government in Sabah we will continue to fight, demand and ensure the right of every single citizen and community in Malaysia must be protected and preserved.
“I have to continue to reiterate this point because there are forces and you have seen some extreme views that had been expressed. After 60 years, six decades of independence you can still hear and this should not be tolerated,” he said at closing ceremony of the Kaamatan Festival at Hongkod Koisaan Hall of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) here today.
Also present were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzli, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali and KDCA president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
Anwar emphasised that in a democratic country, there should be space to express views, but it is essential to have limits.
Prime Minister said it is not his priority to be recognised and highly regarded by international community for protecting the right of the citizens to the point of allowing them to issue opinions that are damning, racist or based on extreme religious views.
“That is not my priority, I even consider it less important. But I will not compromise on the need to preserve the security and unity of all Malaysians, and that we must stand together,” he said.
Anwar said he was open to criticism, disagreement with government’s policies, or making reasonable demands, and proposing something involving difficult issues but he would not tolerate acts of insulting race, religion and rejecting their rights.
He said the country has been independent for a long time, but there are still those who carry hard racial sentiments such as political battles in the peninsula rejecting the presence and rights of representatives of other races, while playing religious sentiments to the point that those who do not agree are worthless.
“The MADANI government together with GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) are firm in our stance on holding the clear principles of the (Malaysian) Constitution about religion, culture, language, we will not deny or go back on the statement that we must honour every race, culture, every right of Malaysians,“ he said.
Anwar said in an effort to defend the fate of the people, the federal government is committed to continue working with the Sabah government to solve the problems faced by the people of the state, especially involving schools and poverty.
Therefore, he called on the Sabah government led by Hajiji not to pay attention to the negative words issued by outsiders and to continue working to defend the fate of Sabahans with the federal government.
“It is important for us to solve the problems of the people, this is the duty of the federal government to defend the people of Sabah... I am here to defend the people of Sabah, not because I want timber or other interests,“ he said.
