Najib: Peace in Malaysia is a 'gift' that should be preserved

PETALING JAYA: Muslims who truly appreciate the spirit of Aidiladha will be able to foster brotherhood and unity among Malaysians.
Stating this, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the unity and peace we have in Malaysia is indeed a "gift" that should be preserved.
"Be assured that this Aidiladha which we are celebrating, if truly appreciated, will surely foster the spirit of unity among us as Malaysians and Muslims in general.
"This appreciation allows us to maintain brotherhood, unity and willingness to sacrifice, while avoiding selfishness," he said in his Aidiladha message at www.najibrazak.com.
Najib noted that this year's Hari Raya Haji celebration is special as the country co-celebrates the 60th National Day as well as the nation's championship in the SEA Games, which ended on Wednesday.
"Muslims who ignore the principles of unity will open the space and opportunity to the enemies of Islam to break through, weaken and destroy Islam and its people.
Indeed, this unity and peace is a gift that is very precious and must be maintained. In fact, it is compulsory for us to be fair among people even if they are from different religions and beliefs," he said.
The celebration is also backed by the joy of sending the highest number of Haj pilgrims in Malaysia's history, he added.
Thanking the Saudi government's pre-clearance pilot project for Haj pilgrims for Malaysia, Najib said this has smoothened the travel process for the pilgrims.
"We are the first country in the world to be allowed to go through the pre-clearance programme for Haj this year and we do not need to go through the passport and customs inspections in Mecca and Madinah," he said.
He added that this programme is part of the close ties between the Saudi royalty and Malaysia, which has been preserved to date.