Zahid: Sea Games enables Malaysians to express patriotism

All Malaysians clearly expressed their patriotism and love for the country during the 29th SEA Games that conclude today, said Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the expression was all the more prominent when Malaysian athletes achieved success and won medals at the biennial games.

"Gold medal victories saw the national flag raised. The National Anthem reverberated. All Malaysians enthusiastically gave their total support to our national teams.

"For all the athletes, I feel this is a translation of the love for the country," he said in a video clip containing his National Day 2017 speech that was uploaded onto Twitter today.

Ahmad Zahid said he felt proud that the undivided support from Malaysians to the national athletes did not have any prejudice against any community.

He said this clearly demonstrated the true value of Malaysian unity.

"We have to maintain this spirit for the sake of the country," he said and wished everyone a Happy National Day.

The video clip, of 4 minutes 51 seconds duration, starts off showing an interview with the Father of Independence Tunku Abdul Rahman who relates his struggle to secure independence for then Malaya.

The first prime minister of Malaysia said that after seeing the failing British efforts against the communist terrorists, he felt that the only way to overcome the communist terrorists was to gain independence.

"This is the only country in the world that fought the communist terrorists and won.

"Being so fortunate, it is left to the people to safeguard and preserve our country for our descendants to live in a sovereign and an independent nation," said Tunku Abdul Rahman.

The video clip also portrayed the ever-progressive Malaysia in modern times and showed the faces of several Malaysians who had brought fame to the country in various fields.

These people are astrophysicist Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Mazlan Othman, national astronaut Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, biotechnologist Dr Mahaletchumy Arujanan, singer Yuna and actresss Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh.

-- BERNAMA