MUHYIDDIN TELLS PUPIL LEADERS TO FOSTER UNITY

JOHOR BAHARU (Malaysia), Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin
Yassin has reminded pupil leaders that they shoulder big challenges in fostering
unity among various races.

He said unity and cooperation among various races had to be inculcated from
a tender age.

"To achieve unity, the spirit of understanding and loyalty and the love for
the country have to be nurtured and embraced from a young age," he said when
addressing the National and International Invitation Pupil Leaders Integration
and Unity Assembly here, the capital city of souuthern state of Johor, Monday.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said unity, understanding and
cooperation among various races would be the foundation of 1Malaysia.

He said Prime Minister Najib Razak, who mooted the concept, wanted Malaysia
to be a united country with the people ready to accept one another and share
their successes and prosperities.

"Let us shoulder the tasks together. As long as we abide by the basis of the
foundation, unity and harmony among the people of various races in our country
can be maintained," he said.

He said the assembly, which brought pupil leaders from throughout the
country, would be a good avenue to instil unity among various races.

The Deputy Prime Minister said he believed the pupils would set aside racial
differences and instead give priority to similarities and unity and to work hand
in hand.

He hoped the pupils would continue to nurture unity through friendship
irrespective of their races and religions.

"Hopefully, by making friends with pupils from other races, we will
understand each other cultures and custom better. The differences among us are
not weaknesses but strengths," he said.

"The differences of our customs and religions are for us to understand one
another, and appreciate our similarities and differences, and together we brave
the challenges ahead as one race.

"To achieve unity and harmony, we have to appreciate that the unity we
achieved thus far has enabled us to feel secure and inject a new strength in our
life," he said.

He hoped efforts to enhance unity and cooperation among various races would
be further intensified.
-- BERNAMA