Unity Band UB50 Malaysia

Spirit of unity the secret of our success
By : Nisha Sabanayagam, Heidi Foo, Arman Ahmad, Mazlinda Mahmood, Malina Jeya Palan and Ili Liyana Mokhtar

KUALA LUMPUR: The secret of the nation’s success is the spirit of unity. This spirit of unity — and the sacrifices made by the founding fathers — should be a guiding light to Malaysians, particularly the younger generation. Malaysia’s independence, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said, was the result of the sacrifices and struggles made by the rakyat who were united in one spirit."The success of our country is built upon our combined efforts.

This approach must be practised in overcoming issues that may bring about hardship, confusion and tension among the people," he said.Abdullah said Malaysians should be grateful for the success the country had achieved in the past 50 years.

"We should also be thankful to our forward-thinking leaders like the two earliest prime ministers, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdul Razak," he said adding that they were given full support by the then party leaders, Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun V. T. Sambanthan. He said he was 17 when he stood about 50 metres from where he was standing last night and the atmosphere was electric. "No one said ‘Good Night’ or even ‘Asalam mualaikum’, everyone had only one word: Merdeka. They greeted each other with that word."Challenging the crowd to scream Merdeka loudly, he said the 1957 spirit of Merdeka should be emulated. He said Malaysians were now facing challenges as the country moved towards becoming a developed nation.

It was, he said, the responsibility of the present and next generations to continue the legacy of past leaders."The road to success may be tough but it is also filled with opportunities that we must take advantage of to succeed," he said in his speech at Dataran Merdeka yesterday.Thousands gathered to re-enact the day 50 years ago when Tunku Abdul Rahman shouted the magic words "Merdeka" which heralded the birth of an independent nation.

Abdullah said: "We have to be confident that we will be able to achieve our vision of becoming a developed nation. In the near future Malaysians will continue to work together as a united nation based on the Rukun Negara." He said the younger generation must protect the sovereignty of this country with their heart and soul to show that they appreciated the sacrifices of past leaders on the road to independence."Increased efforts should be made to develop the country to achieve Vision 2020.

The younger generation should not shy away from their duties and responsibilities."Currently the people are enjoying a better standard of living, and we hope to eradicate poverty by the year 2010," he said.Abdullah also said Malaysia had the potential to achieve even greater success. Earlier, after the Negaraku was played and the Jalur Gemilang raised, Abdullah shouted "Merdeka!" seven times, re-enacting the historic scene of half a century ago. Buildings and trees around Dataran Merdeka were lit up in various hues.

Participants decked out in costumes and uniforms thronged the street in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Roads leading to Dataran Merdeka were choked with traffic from 8.15pm, as thousands of Malaysians headed here to watch the celebrations. The show began at 8.30pm, with lights illuminating Bukit Aman, Bank Negara, City Hall, Bank Rakyat, Dayabumi, the Royal Selangor Club, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad and the National History Museum.

The buildings were illuminated with the colours of the Malaysian flag from projectors positioned around the area. Images of the former prime ministers were also projected on the City Hall building. The Royal Selangor Club field itself was also lit with a kaleidoscope of colours which changed every 10 minutes. In the background, patriotic songs were played.

The crowd, moved by the occasion, sang their hearts out. At 10.30pm, videos showing Tunku Abdul Rahman leaving for his trip to London — leading to the declaration in Malacca — were shown. This was followed by cultural performances depicting the multiracial culture of Malaysia. There were also performances by popular and evergreen artistes, such as Mawi and Andre Goh. [ Back ]

Source: NST Online