By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, May 17: Sarawak will continue to preserve and prioritise, racial and religious unity without putting the sanctity of Islam aside in order to move forward.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said Sarawak has the potential to become a developed and high-income state by 2030.
“Sarawak will celebrate its 60 years of independence in Malaysia next month. Therefore, I urge everyone of us to maintain unity and not let any racial issues harm us and undermine the efforts that we are actively undertaking. It is a very crucial foundation for us to move forward,” Abang Johari said at the Imam As-Syafi’i International Conference 2023 opening ceremony here today.
While he acknowledged that Sarawakians have differences in terms of opinions, he opined there has never been a major racial or religious problem that can cause division within Sarawak’s plural society.
“This is what we need to take care of. Our differences of opinions shall not impair our relationships in the different communities which comprise so many races and faiths,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, Imam As-Syafi’i International Conference 2023 at Borneo Convention Centre was jointly organised by the Sarawak Mufti Department and Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya.
Officiated at by Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, some 1,300 participants including experts in As-Syafi’i from Malaysia, Jordan, Yamen, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia came together for the two-day event. — DayakDaily
