By Phubieyas Ahmad
RANTAU, Negeri Sembilan, April 12 – Malaysia’s cherished peace and multicultural harmony are vital for its stability and economic progress, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan stressed, urging citizens to reject divisive influences while speaking to the media at his recent Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house here.
Mohamad, accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Raja Salbiah Tengku Nujumudin, hosted vibrant Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration on Saturday, combining his open house for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Rembau Parliamentary constituency, the Rembau UMNO Division, and the Rantau state constituency he represents.
Held at his residence in Rantau, the event saw a large and continuous stream of guests from diverse backgrounds arriving since 8:30 am.
“Alhamdulillah, the event proceeded smoothly. Many people have been arriving non-stop since 8:30 this morning,” the Minister, affectionately known as Tok Mat, remarked. He expressed joy at seeing Malaysians of various races and cultures attending, highlighting it as an annual reflection of the nation’s unique multicultural fabric.
Among the attendees were notable dignitaries, including foreign diplomats keen to share in the festive occasion. Seen at the open house were Rafael Daerr, Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia, and Shikata Noriyuki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Malaysia, among others.
“This is the beauty of Malaysia, with its diverse races and cultures,” he said. “We celebrate each other’s festivals together. This time it’s Hari Raya, previously we celebrated Chinese New Year, Deepavali, and Christmas.”
Mohamad emphasized that the gathering demonstrated the inherent closeness (keakrapan) possible within Malaysia’s diversity, showcasing people coming together as neighbours and friends. However, he issued a stern warning against complacency.
“This closeness must be strengthened. We must not follow certain ideologies that sometimes intentionally seek to cause problems, deliberately looking for issues that can fracture the unity of the Malaysian people,” he cautioned. “That is dangerous.”
Advising the populace, he added, “To all Malaysians who have lived together for so long, we have been independent for decades. We have built this country well, and we should be grateful to Allah SWT. If we look at others, we truly should be thankful.”
Drawing on recent experience, the Foreign Minister shared his perspective from a trip to Myanmar the previous week, where he witnessed the devastation of an earthquake and even experienced a strong tremor during a meeting.
“We don’t have volcanoes, we don’t have war… so let’s be grateful. We are a peaceful country,” he asserted, contrasting Malaysia’s situation with global crises like famine in Sudan or conflict zones resulting in mass casualties and displacement.
“Even if some people here say they face hardship, their hardship is not like the hardship of people elsewhere,” he observed.
Concluding his remarks, Mohamad firmly linked national unity and understanding to Malaysia’s future prosperity.
“This is the secret and the recipe for our country to develop and progress,” he stated. “Nobody wants to trade with, nobody wants to invest capital in, no one wants to invest in an unstable country.”
“Look at any country – if it’s unstable and chaotic, no one will invest there, and ultimately, it is our own people who will suffer.”
- TNS NEWS