KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians have been urged to reject politics of hate and slander and find a new beginning towards a better and peaceful country post-COVID-19.

UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in a statement yesterday, said the Malays and Bumiputera must stand united in facing the increasingly challenging political landscape ahead of the 15th General Election (GE) and UMNO must strengthen the party to avoid split.

“I am confident that our history and past events that plunged us into the ruins of a multiracial country have made us more mature and rational in determining the country’s direction for the future generations,” he said.

He also reminded UMNO to learn from its mistakes which caused the party to lose in GE14, so that it could rebuild the party’s strength.

Ismail Sabri said during the Barisan Nasional and UMNO’s tenure as the government, it has been proven that the country was administered well and mutual respect among all races had always been preserved.

“Not only the Malays and Bumiputera are protected but also other races who are free to practice their culture and beliefs. In fact, we celebrate them together in this multicultural society,” he said.

-- BERNAMA