School is the best part of one's life

MP SPEAKS | The seventh Chinese New Year celebrations of SMK Mutiara Rini is most meaningful because school is not only the best part of one’s life but even more important, students can be idealistic and must dare to dream big dreams to make Malaysia and the world a better place for everyone.

Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious nation and we are the confluence of four great civilisations of the world – Malay/Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western.

Instead of the great diversities and the multi-colours in our midst being national liabilities, we have in our hands the challenge to leverage on the best qualities and values of these four great civilisations to achieve a great Malaysian nation which leaves lasting footprints in the history of human civilisation by being a world top-class in certain aspects of human excellence and achievement.

This why Malaysians regardless of race and religion celebrate each other’s festivities, whether Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali or Christmas.

In fact, these festivities are given official recognition as they are declared national holidays in Malaysia.

In school, we are taught to abide and uphold the Malaysian Constitution and Rukun Negara to be Malaysians, although we are also Malays, Chinese, Ibans or Kadazans and adherents of different faiths.

After more than six decades of nationhood, we should have more Malaysians than the early years of nationhood. Do we?

But there can be no doubt that if Malaysia is to succeed as a world top-class nation, Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region, must unite to pool their resources, talents and abilities to ensure Malaysia can reach the next level of development instead of fighting with each other for the country to end up as a failed state.

When I was in school in the fifties in the last century, the world was shaking off the yoke of Western colonialism and Afro-Asian nations were embarking on the road of independence and statehood.

Today, we are in a different world. In 2050, the largest economies will be China, India, United States and Indonesia in that order.

What we make of the world in the next few decades will depend on the schoolchildren of today, and this is why we must invest in the proper education of the next generation of Malaysians.

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LIM KIT SIANG is MP for Iskandar Puteri. - Mkini