M'SIAN YOUTHS SHOULD STRENGTHEN INTER-RACIAL UNITY

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 (Bernama) -- Malaysian youths of all races should focus
on strengthening racial integration and promoting inter-racial unity in the New
Year as part of their contribution to building a truly multi-racial country,
National Unity Advisory Panel member Lee Lam Thye said Sunday.

"They must be completely unconscious of the fact that the person sitting
next to him (or her) is of another race and religion. They must be aware of only
one thing, that he or she is their friend.

"They must break down the racial divide, reach out and make friends with
those from other ethnic groups," he said in a statement.

Lee said schools were the ideal places to promote racial integration and
teachers and parents must play their respective roles to help out in this
process.

He said parents must encourage their children to mix with those of different
races so that they can better understand one another's religion, culture and way
of life.

Lee said the inculcation of proper values and noble objectives in
relation to unity should begin in the primary school, and this can produce a
future generation of Malaysians who are fully conscious of their responsibility
towards nation-building.

"Unity and harmony must be a part of our culture and there must be more
opportunities for people of diverse races to meet and forge closer friendship
and understanding for the sake of our nation's future," he said.

-- BERNAMA