KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that his government sometimes needs to adopt a firm approach to safeguard the interests of Malaysia’s multi-racial communities.
He stressed that such measures are crucial because no nation can thrive if its people are in conflict and lack the spirit of tolerance needed to uplift all races and religions across every sector.
He said the cooperation of Malaysia’s diverse communities has already borne fruit, with economic indicators reflecting the country’s remarkable progress.
“All this is because we are a peaceful country, we have a spirit of mutual consensus, and thirdly, we work together to elevate Malaysia’s dignity.
“But if you want to succeed, we have to accept there are problems, there are differences, but we must work to solve them as one great society, a united family of Malaysians,” he said in his speech at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall’s 2026 Chinese New Year celebration here today.
Also present were Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Chang Lih Kang, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh and the Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing.
In his speech, the prime minister said the issue of unity is not a new thing in a multi-racial country like Malaysia.
“The major challenge, of course, is national unity, overcoming racial divide and racism. This is not new. That’s why I have always emphasised the need to work together.
“From my time in ABIM (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia), we collaborated with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to advocate for the rights of the people and to build a spirit of unity among the races,” he said.
He also cited the late Second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, who faced similar challenges and identified the country’s key issues at the time as the ‘3Cs, namely, communist threat, communalism, and corruption.
Meanwhile, when met by reporters after the ceremony, Anwar expressed hope that this Chinese New Year celebration would serve as an opportunity for all Malaysians to strengthen solidarity, setting aside issues that do not benefit the nation.
