M'SIA URGED TO FOSTER RACIAL SOLIDARITY

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- A Senate member Monday urged the Malaysian government to find ways toward nurturing solidarity among the various races and ethnics in the country.

Senator Roslan Awang Chik said interracial ties needed to be fostered
through social activities besides interreligious dialogues and charity
programmes organised by the various religious bodies.

"Now too many social activities are confined to the respective races. That
is our habit to the point that when the minister is a Chinese, the function is
also attended by the Chinese and if the minister is a Malay, the crowd comprise
Malays.

"The reason is that in the past we didn't have a language understood by all
races," he said during the debate session.

Roslan said social activities that were limited to a particular race should
be reduced and replaced with those involving all races.

He said unity and development of all Malaysians required a comprehensive
awareness on the importance of forming a nation, a Malaysian nation.

"The Malaysian society moulding process requires continuous political
stability and determination. Unfair competition, racist politics, nepotism,
cronyism and corruption at all levels need to be eradicated urgently before they
spread uncontrollably," he said.

Meanwhile, Senator Khoo Soo Seang asked the government to give priority to
the children of teachers for seats in local unversities or introduce special
scholarships for them.

This would encourage more people to become teachers and a way to appreciate
teachers' contribution in producing successful human capital for national
development, he said.

The Senate sits again Tuesday.

-- BERNAMA