MUKAH: Sarawak must continue safeguarding its unity and interfaith harmony as a strong and stable state will ultimately contribute towards a stronger Malaysia.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state’s diverse communities had maintained close relations through mutual understanding and respect.
He said the unity fostered among Sarawakians had enabled successive state administrations to pursue development for the benefit of the people.
“Although Sarawak has a multiracial and multireligious society, we can engage with one another and preserve the harmony of our way of life.
“With this unity and harmony, we have been able to develop Sarawak, beginning with our former leaders and continued by the present leadership for the people,” he said.
He said this when officiating at the ‘Ziarah Mahabbah Majlis Islam Sarawak 1448H/2026M Central Zone’ programme at Dataran Pehin Setia Raja here today.
Abang Johari said the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), which paid him a courtesy call earlier this week, had expressed admiration for Sarawak’s peaceful coexistence among its diverse communities.
He shared that the delegation suggested that Sarawak promote its approach to religious and racial harmony in the Peninsula.
“They asked, ‘Why don’t you try to propagate this approach in the Peninsula?’
“I told them, ‘Let us take care of ourselves first’. We have the South China Sea between us, so let us safeguard Sarawak because when Sarawak is strong, Malaysia will also be strong,” he said.
Abang Johari said Sarawak’s approach reflected the Islamic principle that human beings depended on and must cooperate with one another.
Citing Muslim scholar, Ibn Khaldun, he said communities could not function in isolation, as human relationships and cooperation were fundamental to societal development.
He added that the principles of engagement and compassion were also embodied in the Charter of Medina, which provided a foundation for governance embracing the needs of a diverse society.
“This is why Muslims and non-Muslims in Sarawak can live together peacefully while understanding and respecting one another,” he said.
