IPOH, Perak: The spirit of race and religion will not be eroded even if students from various races, religions and cultures study together under one roof or school, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the diversity of society in Malaysia is a strength that needs to be celebrated and not questioned because it is the foundation for national unity and harmony.
“Malaysia is a country of various races, various religions, and various cultures. The children know this.
“There are Malay students, Chinese students, Indian students, Orang Asli students, but they can socialise as one team of Malaysian children,” he said when speaking at the ‘Sumbangan Kasih MADANI’ event in conjunction with Deepavali 2025 at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Poi Lam here today.
Also present were Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, and Minister of Housing and Local Government, Nga Kor Ming.
Anwar said Malaysians must continue to foster a spirit of respect and honour the cultural diversity that exists in society.
The Prime Minister said Malaysia is the only country that jointly celebrates various festivals such as Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, and Deepavali every year.
This practice, according to him, symbolises the spirit of mutual respect among races, which is the core of the nation’s strength.
“This (celebration) is how we honour culture, respect each other’s language and culture, and this is how we bind our national unity,” he said.
Earlier, at the same event, Anwar, who is also the Member of Parliament for Tambun, presented contributions to representatives of 15 schools involving 2,500 students in the Tambun Parliamentary constituency. – BERNAMA
