KUALA LUMPUR, 6 June 2009: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, today called on the people to show appreciation for the 1Malaysia concept introduced as an extension of government efforts to grow national unity sown at the time of the nation’s independence more than 50 years ago.
He said every citizen had a huge responsibility in this undertaking because it was the people themselves who would determine the rise and fall of a nation.
Tuanku Mizan said he hoped Malaysians would continue to maintain unity and share their blessings and responsibilities as this was something unique and a source of their strength.
“I am very happy because the people have demonstrated that they are able to live in an atmosphere of harmony and mutual respect given the diversity of race, ethnicity, religion, culture and lifestyle,” he said at the investiture at Istana Negara in conjunction with his birthday.
Tuanku Mizan also said he was happy that the 1Malaysia concept introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was based on the principle of “People First, Performance Now”.
Tuanku Mizan also said that the government should continue to improve the national administrative and implementation machinery, which served as the pulse of national development, to provide the best service for the well-being of the people.
He said he hoped that the benefits of the two economic stimulus packages launched by the government would reach the target groups.
He said he also believed that the government would be able to use prudence in stepping up efforts to balance economic development with social needs to bring about peace and prosperity for the people so that no race or group, including women, youths, the elderly and the handicapped, was neglected.
“In fact, existing government policies have provided for social balance among the people of various races with a prudent economic development strategy. I am happy that the number of people yet to enjoy the benefits of national development is shrinking,” he said.
Tuanku Mizan also wanted the young generation of the country to equip themselves with all kinds of knowledge and skills to inherit the invaluable asset of a nation of pride and respect that had been shaped by the government.
The king said he was happy that the national leadership transition in April had proceeded smoothly and congratulated Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on his appointment as the prime minister.
He said Najib had demonstrated dynamic leadership and commitment since his appointment as the prime minister.
Tuanku Mizan also thanked former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for his leadership and services to the nation.
Earlier, at the Dataran Merdeka, Tuanku Mizan and the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tuanku Nur Zahirah, witnessed the trooping of the colours by the armed forces.
The ceremony was to pay homage to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Their Majesties were accorded the honour of a 21-gun salute and a fly-past by five armed forces’ helicopters carrying the flags of Malaysia, the armed forces and its three branches.
Tuanku Mizan inspected a guard-of-honour mounted by 22 officers and 546 men of the army, navy and air force, accompanied by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal and head of the guard-of-honour Lt Col Nazim Mohd Alim.
Their Majesties then witnessed the trooping of the colours in full military tradition as the military bank played patriotic music.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and their wives were also present at the ceremony. — Bernama
dominik says
I fully agree on the 1Malaysia concept, BUT when are we going to see the implementation of that concept. Is it going to be only talk but no concrete action.
I suggest that the first thing the Govt needs to do is to direct all Govt depts to amend the data forms requesting people to fill in the race (which should be deleted). This will involve depts like immigration, National Registration, education, etc. The Govt has to take the first step IN ACTION. Not only talk about it. Only then can people of all races have confidence to feel that they are Malaysians, not Malays, Chinese, Indians or Others.
james au says
“Daulat Tuanku”. The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong’s call to the nation to respect “1Malaysia” has never come at a better time. “People First,Performance Now.”As a common citizen, our hope is simple and sincere – to see that Malaysia some day will be a very prosperous nation where every Malaysian will have a fair share of its wealth and have a very responsible and trustworthy govt.
But in the past few months, events that unfold before our eyes has create doubts in all of us. Scary events that have not happened before since independence. Our govt has broken the law of the land – the Federal Constitution! The PDRM seems to have run amok arresting ordinary citizens at will. Lawyers are not allowed to defend their clients and got arrested as well. The sanctity of the Perak State Assembly has been violated by the PDRM and many “unidentified persons”, and skyrocketing crime rates etc. do not augur well for the future of the country.
Such disturbing scenarios are threats to our own country. As common citizens, we can’t do anything but to live in fear. It’s chaos out there. Is this the “1Malaysia” the PM is preaching about? Or is the present situation going to persist with no solutions? Is the government not answerable to all Malaysians? Until our PM can provide us with a clearer explanation, “1Malaysia” will indeed be a very bad experience for all Malaysians and a mystery unsolved!
maat says
Is his majesty’s interpretation of 1Malaysia same as Najib’s? It seems even Dr Mahathir is not too sure of its interpretation.
Hong says
One does not sow unity by engaging in a public relations exercise, which is what 1Malaysia is, anymore than one can make the naked emperor any more clothed than he is just by saying so.
We seem to be very good at coming up with these national projects in self-delusion without any notion of implementation. Mahathir went on a megaproject commissioning spree to convince the nation that we were that much closer to achieving Wawasan 2020, leaving us to foot the bill for an under-occupied Petronas Towers, an anemic Cyberjaya and a disastrous BioValley.
Najib is going down the same road of doing nothing while pretending to do something. What is worse is that he seems, in fact, to be doing quite the opposite, as evidenced by the shenanigans perpetrated by BN in Perak and the recent PSD scholarship fiasco, neither of which is “People First, Performance Now”.
Talk is cheap, and in time 1Malaysia will go down in national history as yet another instance of federal-sponsored lip service.
Hafidz Baharom says
With no offense to DYM Tuanku Mizan, I think the concept of 1Malaysia cannot garner any respect as long as the promoter of the concept is one that doesn’t even have the support of even half the people (45 percent) on the Peninsular.
Ismail Jaafar says
Aiya, do not get riled up lah. Our KDYMM Seri Paduka Baginda YDP Agong was merely reading the text prepared by the PM’s office.
Period.
Philip selvaraj says
If we are going to “duduk sama rendah berdiri sama tinggi” then do away with NEP, and all discriminatory policies. No point harping about 1Malaysia if the racist policies are still intact. It is as simple as that.
Main says
Every major concept in Malaysia will face onslaughts from those who don’t have the knowledge and understanding of it thus losing confidence [the “onslaughters”].
The 1Malaysia concept is so simple and yet to implement it needs a head-on approach thus the stimulus budget and that, as an example, is waiting for the government’s moves to enable the people to see what has been achieved. But the truth of the matter is, when the economic stimulus package was created it was and is for the people. Find ways of knowing how to use it and we will understand what we previously did not. In fact the Prime Minister himself took the effort of explaining where to find it [e.g thru MIDA] for certain services.