UNITY IS NOT AN CHOICE, IT IS THE IDENTITY OF COMMUNITY

CYBERJAYA, July 21 (Bernama) -- The aspect of unity in Malaysia is not an option, as it must be made a part of the identity of society, said the deputy director-general (Academic and Training) of the National Academy of Malaysia Datuk Ismail Yusof.

He said Malaysia was built on religious and cultural diversity that cannot be found in other countries with an inclusive nation-state model.

"The building of a nation-state is a process, from the beginning of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj (First Prime Minister) towards achieving independence until all were implemented by every prime minister until now.

"We have to accept the fact that this country is made up of a diversity of races and religions and it is actually a gift from God that needs to be managed efficiently," he said.

He said this in a panel discussion entitled MADANI Community Catalyst of Progressive Malaysia with the topic of 'Nationalism and Patriotism' held in conjunction with the launching of the National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang 2024 here today.

According to Ismail, the only framework that strengthens unity is the Federal Constitution which is the core of nation-state building.

"That's why it outlines the position of the Malay Rulers, the Islamic religion, Malay as the national language and so on. In conclusion, the rights of every citizen on this blessed earth can be managed fairly through the Federal Constitution," he said.

The retreat session also featured the director of the Socio-Economic Development Division of the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister's Department Dr. Abdul Hazif Abdul Hamid who shared about the MADANI Community Prosperity Programme (SeJati MADANI) initiative.

SeJATI MADANI is a new government initiative aimed at stimulating economic activities at the community level to increase income by providing funds of up to RM100,000 to deserving communities.

The programme is a form of government aid programme that aims to empower communities through socioeconomic improvement activities.

The talk then continued with the slot of MADANI Community Competent Communication Movers to discuss scam crimes (fraud) and artificial intelligence (AI).

He was joined by Royal Malaysian Police Anti-Scam Ambassador Rahmat Fitri Abdullah who touched on the aspect of scams in social media, at the same time reminding the public not to be fooled by online scams.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) principal assistant secretary Airull Azizi Awang Lah also shared about the MY-AI portal under MOSTI, which functions as a strategic step in providing High-Performance Computing (HPC) resources that include links to knowledge resources, training programme, tools, and feedback channels for AI.

The main purpose of the initiative is to drive the development and use of AI for the economic and social benefit of Malaysia.

The 2024 National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang Ceremony, which has the concept of a people's carnival, starts from 9 am to 4.30 pm, with various programmes prepared to strengthen the spirit of patriotism among the people towards the National Day and Malaysia Day (HKHM) 2024.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to officiate the celebration at 3 pm.

-- BERNAMA