Former prime minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in expressing his dismay on the matter, saw it as a ‘failure’ in people, although much efforts have been made to instill unity among citizens.
“Patriotic songs and slogans are often played up, especially during this Merdeka season. Sure, songs and slogans help to fuel our patriotism but the fire would diminish if the spirit of Merdeka is not embedded in our souls. ‘Merdeka’ must lie in the heart and unity weaved in the soul.
“Let’s not just unite when there’s a festivity or when celebrating victory. Let’s not unite only when a tragedy or calamity strikes. Unity must always be in our hearts, it’s no seasonal,” he said in his maiden blog post at www.paklah.net.
Pak Lah's first blog post on www.paklah.net speaks about the decline in respect and tolerance among Malaysians
The blog post by the fifth prime minister and former Kepala Batas MP was published today in conjunction with the 51st Malaysia Day. His inaugural posting, titled “Erti kemerdekaan dan perpaduan” (the meaning of Merdeka and unity) spoke on the issue of unity.
Abdullah, who is fondly known as Pak Lah, said instilling unity is crucial but it should not be done based on fear.
“Learn from the May 13 tragedy, but don’t harp on the event too much. We need to move forward.
“It’s only natural for people everywhere to have differing opinions, especially in a country that practices democracy,” he said.
Pak Lah said, any elected government, in this case be it Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat, should be given the opportunity to govern.
“It goes the same with leaders; if he or she is selected by the people, then the person should be given the chance to lead fairly,” he added.
Abdullah, who will turn 75 in November, was the sixth UMNO president. After stepping down as Prime Minister in April 2009, he was selected as Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) chairman.
