Peaceful And Stable Country Starts With A Harmonious Family - M'sia's Former PM's Wife

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- Parents need to instil good moral values in their children, such as respect, honesty, diligence and discipline in order to ensure a peaceful and stable Malaysia. Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali said parents also needed to instil in their children how to respect other cultures, customs and religions, especially in a multicultural country like Malaysia. "(Therefore) to build a culture of peace, we must start with the family. Family members must be taught how to behave themselves and how to respect other people as early as in childhood." Siti Hasmah, the wife of Malaysia's former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said this in her talk titled "The Role Of Women In Building A Culture Of Peace Through The Family Institution", here, Friday. The talk was held in conjunction with a two-week training programme on "Managing Diversity in Multicultural Nations", jointly organised by University Malaya's International Institute of Public Policy and Management (Inpuma), the Foreign Ministry and Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica). Siti Hasmah also presented certificates to 18 participants from six countries - Iraq, Nigeria, Myanmar, Sudan (North Sudan), South Sudan and Timor-Leste - who attended the two-week programme since Sept 23. The training programme was to expose the participants to the nation-building and developmental experience of Malaysia, a country characterised by distinct ethnic, religious and cultural differences. -- BERNAMA