Kaamatan and Gawai can foster national unity, says Lee

KOTA KINABALU: The festivals of Kaamatan and Gawai should be a unifying force in bringing people of different races together for a common goal and for the country’s success, said 1Malaysia Foundation trustee Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

“We must remember that the process of establishing a united Malaysian nation is a continuous one and what has been achieved so far must be nurtured and reinforced.

“Unity is a priceless gift, a symbol of our humanity and the foundation upon which we build relationships, families, communities and a nation,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

He also described as good news the Government’s recent announcement that from this year, civil servants born in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan and serving in Peninsular Malaysia are allowed to take a day off for Kaamatan and Gawai.

Kaamatan is celebrated on May 30 and 31 in Sabah while the Gawai Festival is celebrated on June 1 and 2 in Sarawak to symbolise the end of the harvest season.

“Malaysians of different ethnic origins must always be conscious of the need to have mutual respect for one another and share the vision for national unity,” added Lee.

Wishing Happy Kaamatan and Gawai to those celebrating the festivals, he said the principles of unity – as enshrined in the principles of the Rukunegara – should always be upheld and practised, and that all Malaysians must never take for granted the country’s stability, peace and harmony.

Malaysia, he said, stood out in the world as an example of how different ethnic communities could live in peace and harmony and work together. — Bernama