RACIAL CONSULTATION NECESSARY TO BRING MALAYSIA TO GREATER HEIGHTS

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- A stronger and more solid consensus among
the races in the country will bring Malaysia to greater heights, Prime Minister
Najib Razak said Friday.

He said history had proven that the spirit of consensus, patriotism as well
as cooperation among the races in the country had made the building of the
Malaysian nation possible and helped overcome the numerous challenges until the
country achieved its independence.

"Why do we succeed in the 50s when other countries failed to achieve
independence through peaceful means?

"It was not easy for the colonial masters to give up a country that they had
governed, but when the people of Malaysia rose as one, at that time there was no
1Malaysia, they came with one voice, one commitment towards one Malaysia or one
Malaya, we got our independence," he added.

The prime minister said this in his keynote address at a Patriotism
Discourse: Towards 1Malaysia and the launch of the 100 Faces of Malaysian
Warriors organised by the Former People's Representatives Council of Malaysia
(Mubarak) here.

Najib said the spirit of patriotism was an important dimension which should
be instilled into all Malaysians, especially the youngsters, because it would
enable them to overcome competition in an increasingly challenging era.

"Therefore, the youth should not forget their origins. They should
understand and appreciate history to know where we come from, where we are and
where we are heading," he added.

At the function, Mubarak gave the list of 100 faces of Malaysian warriors,
including those of the six former prime ministers and deputy prime ministers of
Malaysia, as a token of appreciation for those who had fought for and
contributed to the country's development.

Also included in the list was Najib's mother, Rahah Mohd Noah, as a Special
Personality.
-- BERNAMA