The unity among the various races was one of the key factors behind the country gaining independence from British occupation in 1957, Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man said today.

He said the unity shown by those who struggled for independence, weakened the colonialists, forcing them to comply with the demands of the Malayan people at that time.

"We should take heed of the importance of unity, as seeds of disharmony can cause Malaysia to be on the verge of destruction ," Azlan said in his speech during the monthly assembly of state and federal government agencies at the Dewan 2020, here, Wednesday.

He also launched the state-level 'Negaraku Sehati Sejiwa' programme which took place simultaneously throughout the country.

The assembly, hosted by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Arau, was attended by nearly 1,000 civil servants including state and federal level leaders.

Meanwhile, when asked by reporters about the 'Nothing To Hide 2.0' forum held by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) in Shah Alam recently which ended in chaos, Azlan said the incident had stirred doubts and caused a backlash against the hosting party, which aspired to rule the country.

-- BERNAMA