By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, Aug 22: Malaysia’s 63rd National Day will be celebrated slightly differently due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the country still implementing the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO).
Despite having to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP), Petra Jaya MP Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said it should not stop Malaysians from expressing their love and patriotism for the country.
“This year’s celebration may not be the same as in previous years, but the spirit and lessons still give us strength, especially in facing the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic which is not over yet.
“At the same time, efforts to revive the country’s economy is ongoing and both Federal and State governments are making progress with implementing practical policies and the economy seeing some remarkable upswings,” Fadillah said at the Merdeka @ Community program at Taman Sukma today.
Explaining the theme of this year’s celebration ‘Malaysia Prihatin’, Fadillah said the word Malaysia describes all Malaysians who are also fighting the epidemic while Prihatin (caring) is the government’s initiative that covers economic aspects, to safeguard the welfare and survival of Malaysians.
He urged Malaysians to remain united in preserving national unity through tolerance and cooperation with each other, not being selfish and necessary for everyone to take care of their own health practices such as wearing face masks as well as maintaining social distance and avoiding contact when socializing.
Fadillah, who is also the Works minister pointed out that the patriotic spirit should come from the heart and the love for the country must exist with confidence and sincerity.
In experiencing a common past, he believed Malaysians have come to realise that this so-called spirit of Merdeka needs to be rekindled time and again.
He also expressed Sarawak government’s gratitude to the Federal government for giving Sarawak an opportunity to host the 2020 Malaysia Day celebration.
When other developed countries praised and acknowledged Malaysia as one of the best countries in handling Covid-19, Fadillah pointed that this was due to the caring Federal and State government who understand the seriousness of this pandemic and the hardship caused.
“Our current government understands. That is why they rolled out various aids and assistance. At the same time, everyone in the community cooperated and worked hard side by side. This also shows that we rakyat also care for each other as well and that made us strong,” he added.—DayakDaily
