The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia has called on the faithful to celebrate unity and friendship as the country observes National Day and Malaysia Day.
In a statement, Archbishop Simon Poh of Kuching, president of the conference, reflected on the unity demonstrated during the SUKMA Games, Malaysia's biennial sports event, held last August.
“The SUKMA opening and closing ceremonies reflected our unity in diversity, celebrating the coming together of various cultures and ethnicities for sports in Malaysia,” said Archbishop Poh.
He noted that the games resonated deeply with the nation: “I believe what captured the hearts of Malaysians is that our SUKMA celebrated our unity and friendship, giving due respect to various cultural traditions and honor to the young athletes.”
The Archbishop also encouraged everyone to embrace the theme of this year’s National Day and Malaysia Day: “Malaysia MADANI: Jiwa Merdeka,” which reflects the six core values of the nation—sustainability (keMampanan), prosperity (kesejAhteraan), innovation (Daya cipta), respect (hormAt), trust (keyakiNan), and compassion (Ihsan).
“Let the theme… become a reality, symbolizing the integration of Malaysians from various cultures and ethnicities,” Archbishop Poh urged.
“Beyond slogans and words, let us sincerely join hands and work for nation-building, to be truly the one people of Malaysia, celebrating our unity in diversity, mutual acceptance, and respect for all religions, races, and cultures,” he added.
National Day and Malaysia Day, observed on September 16, commemorate the formation of the Malaysian Federation in 1963, uniting Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore into a single state. Singapore later left the federation on August 9, 1965.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
