Ways to express love for the country

THE “Ekspresi Negaraku” campaign should be supported by all Malaysians, irrespective of race, since its main objective is to help inculcate the spirit of patriotism.

Ekspresi Negaraku is an appropriate platform to promote the “Negaraku” or “My Country” initiative in conjunction with this year’s National Day.

Malaysians have thus far expressed their love for the nation in many ways.

Those who join the security forces such as the military and police, for example, are willing to sacrifice their lives for the country to protect its sovereignty.

We have sportsmen and women who made our country proud when they won medals in international competitions.

Malaysians have also shown their love for the country through payment of taxes, which can be used to help others and develop the country.

Respect for the law also shows our love for the country, as it is one of the five principles of the sacrosanct Rukun Negara.

We can champion environmental causes, or help the authorities tackle various social issues such as vandalism, littering, drug abuse and crime.

Citizens can organise and participate in activities that will benefit the community such as gotong-royong to clean the surroundings or rukun tetangga (neighbourhood watch) to help maintain security and safety in their areas.

Malaysians can also show their love for the nation by resisting any attempts to polarise and divide the people through insensitive remarks without due regard or respect for race and religion. The immediate task for all Malaysians today is to stand up and be counted to check against the surge of extremism and religious bigotry.

For those who persist in making incendiary statements and instigating racial and religious tension, action should be taken against them without fear or favour to help restore public confidence in the process.

All political leaders must also stop the drift towards racial and religious polarisation.

To prevent Malaysians from further drifting apart and to heal a divided nation, we must be prepared to integrate from young with the help of teachers.

We need to be able to put our children together and let them grow up together.

During play and in the classrooms, our children must be