KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg is a chief minister for all races, said his deputy, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He said Sarawakians should continue to unite to form a visionary society that is always supporting one another to ensure harmony in the state.
“The establishment of the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) is a manifestation of the government’s commitment to further nurture harmony in a multi-religious and multi-faith community.
“For us Muslims, we already have the Islamic Religious Council and the Islamic Religious Department that are responsible for ensuring the integrity of our faith as well as advancing our society,” he said during his address at the ground-breaking ceremony of the Wisma Melayu project site at Jalan Diplomatik here today.
Awang Tengah also urged the Malays to remain united and focus on developing themselves and the state.
“We are no longer in an era where the big ones are strong and the small ones are weak, but we are in the era of technology, where the fast and knowledgeable will continue to succeed, the slow and careless will be left behind.
“Like the saying, it’s not the big that swallows the small but the fast that catches the slow. That’s why it is important for the Malays to prepare themselves in all aspects whether socially, politically and economically,” he said.
The deputy chief minister said in Sarawak, there is not a single majority race that can rule on its own.
“We can only be the majority with the unity of all races to form a stable and strong government. This is the specialty of the people of Sarawak, although different in terms of religion, race, culture and background, we are one.
“We are united in diversity. It is this spirit that contributes to the harmony, security and stability as well as the prosperity of this state that we all enjoy today,” he said.
