Malaysia can lead the world in giving a new meaning to “Unity in Diversity” where Malaysians celebrate the great ethnic, religious, and cultural festivals of the world while keeping their own ethnic, religious, and cultural identities

Thaipusam and Chap Goh Mei falls on the same day today.

Malaysia can lead the world in giving a new meaning to “Unity in Diversity” where Malaysians celebrate the great ethnic and religious festivals and cultures of the world while keeping their own ethnic, religious, and cultural identities.

Nobody wants the Malays to become Chinese, Chinese to become Indians, Indians to become Dayaks, or Dayaks to become Kadazans. Similarly, nobody wants the Muslims to become Buddhists, the Buddhists to become Hindus, or the Hindus to become Christians. That will not be “Unity in Diversity”!

Malaysia is at the confluence of the four great civilisations of the world — Malay/Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western — and Malaysians regardless of ethnicity, language, religion, or culture must leverage on the values and virtues of the four great civilisations to re-build a first-rate world-class Malaysia.

Malaysia can show the world to take one step further — not just to tolerate but to celebrate the great ethnic, religious, and cultural festivities of the world, which is why we have Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Kaamatan, Hari Gawai, Vesak, and Christmas as national holidays.