Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman (pic) called on Malaysians in Sabah to uphold the unity and harmony it practised for generations that have long served as an example for Malaysia."We have to reject efforts by certain quarters to sow hatred by using religion and race as issues to tear the people apart," he said, in his message in conjunction with the 59th Merdeka Day Celebration.He added it is worrying to note that such hatred is being spread through social media platforms, with certain stories taken out of context and shared repeatedly, creating uneasiness among those who read such news which are often not verified.
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"I wish to call on us in Sabah to think as Malaysians and to work with one another to collectively take this country to greater heights. Parochial ways of thinking prevent us from striving to achieve more for this nation. "As Malaysians, we all need to support each other and to instil mutual respect for our fellow countrymen, regardless of race, religion or which state they come from," he said.
He added that the people must accept that each individual is different, and embrace the strength that Malaysia's cultural diversity offers. He is pleased that Malaysians in Sabah, a melting pot of diverse ethnicities and cultures, have for generations interacted well with one another.
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"Our unity in Sabah is our strength, and we should not erode it by supporting calls that lead to disharmony. Taking to the streets, rallies and demonstrations are not part of our culture and are disruptive, divisive and can be destructive," he said.
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Musa also stated that the strong relationship the State Government enjoys with the Federal Government has allowed the State to develop in tandem with the rest of Malaysia."As we move forward, I hope to see the development gap between Sabah and the rest of the nation narrow significantly through some of the policies that are already in place. We now have better infrastructure in many parts of the State, but this does not mean that the job is done. "We must remain steadfast in uplifting quality of life among Malaysians in Sabah. I also wish to once again remind the State civil service to do its best in ensuring that projects and programmes planned for Sabah are implemented as scheduled and without bureaucratic obstacles. "We must always ensure that the best interests of the people are met."Musa also said that security is a matter that the government takes seriously and a lot of efforts have been put into the strengthening the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) in order to ensure the nation's sovereignty is not compromised. The Sabah Government, he asserted is always in consultation with security forces on strategies to keep Sabah secure. Such assurance is needed not only for locals to go about with their day to day activities, but also to instil confidence in investors and among tourists."It is my hope that Sabah continues to see political stability so that we are able to deliver on our promises to the people.
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