National harmony helps gov't navigate economic recovery, develop country - PM

BERA: Harmony in the country as a result of unity and tolerance among the various races has helped the government navigate Malaysia's economic recovery and development, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.

As such, he said this harmony must continue to be enjoyed by the people as one big family through the concept of Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) that he introduced after helming the government.

"... with the harmony that we enjoy now, we can see the economy improving compared to before, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 8.9 per cent in the second quarter, which is the best in Southeast Asia.

"The country's inflation rate also recorded a decrease to 4.5 per cent, which is better than some other countries," he said while speaking at the Bera parliamentary Keluarga Malaysia gathering at the Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SRJKC) Triang 2 here today.

Ismail Sabri said Malaysians, especially businessmen, would certainly want political stability and peace in the country so that they can go about conducting their businesses well.

In his speech, Ismail Sabri shared how the Keluarga Malaysia concept was inspired by the harmony and strong unity among the locals in Bera, traits that he had witnessed since he became their MP.

"There is tolerance among us, and we understand each other and do not allow cultural differences to be obstacles to uniting us as a big family. I enjoy being together in a family atmosphere like this.

"And that is why, when I became Prime Minister, I brought this idea from Bera and changed it from the Keluarga Bera to Keluarga Malaysia because what is important to us in a multi-racial country is harmony," he said.

-- BERNAMA