‘Don’t have wrong perception of Unifor’
KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan has cautioned that Sarawak Malays should not have the wrong perception of Unit for Other Religions ( Unifor).
He assured that the rights of Sarawak Malays would always be protected but said the rights of other communities should also be recognised and respected.
He clarified that the establishment of Unifor was aimed at maintaining harmony among people of different religious, cultures and backgrounds in the state.
“In Sarawak we live in a multiracial society of many races, cultures and beliefs.
“Therefore, no one race can rule the state by itself without cooperating with each other. This is the reality in Sarawak,” he said at the opening ceremony of the 7th Malay Culture Seminar organised by Amanah Khairat Yayasan Budaya Melayu Sarawak (AKYBMS) yesterday.
Awang Tengah, who is also
In Sarawak we live in a multi-racial society of many races, cultures and beliefs.
AKYBMS Board of Trustees chairman, said the Sarawak Malays, who made up only about 23 per cent of the state’s population, should be united and must continue to respect and cooperate with other races in the state.
He praised the Sarawak Malays for their strong unity with the other communities, which is the key to the state’s success.
He, however, cautioned that they should not take the prevailing unity for granted.
On a related matter, he said the main aim of establishing Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) was to preserve the strong unity between the Malays and other communities in Sarawak.
“And we want Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu ( PBB) to continue to be the backbone of the Sarawak state government.
Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Deputy Chief Minister
“This struggle is our struggle to defend the destiny of our community and our beloved state,” he said.
About 800 Sarawak Malays and some members of Vaie Segan, Kedayan and Jati Meirek communities participated in the three- day seminar themed ‘Managing Culture in the Digital Age’.
The seminar serves as a platform for the Sarawak Malay community to voice their views on the topics to be discussed.