PM: Malaysians should respect each other

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor (4th left) together with Deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin (2nd from left) cutting an Aidilfitri cake at the Aidilfitri open house at Seri Perdana. BERNAMA

PUTRAJAYA (Aug 8, 2013): Malaysians should have mutual respect for each other in order to live in a harmonious and peaceful environment, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.

He said the basic principle of understanding one another will help the nation to remain peaceful, stable and harmonious.

"I think the basic principle is if we want to be harmonious, Muslims should not do anything that will hurt the feelings of non-Muslims, and non-Muslims must not hurt the feelings of Muslims.

"If there is another way of doing it, it is better to do it rather then hurting the feelings of one another," he said in a press conference today at his residence here after hosting the annual open house.

Najib said if people remain adamant in their own believes and "If you go on the premise on who is right and who is wrong, we will never agree because each is coming from different points of views.

"We will never agree so we can discuss as the saying goes till the cows come home.

"But if you go on the premise that Muslims should not do anything to hurt the non-Muslims, and non Muslims should also not do anything to hurt the feelings of Muslims, then we will be a peaceful country forever and that is my dream for Malaysia," he said in reply to a question on interfaith.

Najib was asked to comment on excerpts from an upcoming book by Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who said that plans for an Interfaith Commission of Malaysia (ICM) were derailed by resistance from those who conflated it with support for pluralism.

Abdullah said in 2005, civil society, professional and political groups had banded together to advocate the ICM as conciliatory and advisory body among the country's various creeds.

Najib however said there was some controversy about the interfaith commission so a committee was formed instead to harmonise the views of different communities in the country.

Meanwhile when asked about Umno, Najib reiterated the party needs to change and has started making changes with the amendment of its constitution.

"But as you know changing people is a gargantuan task which may take more than just my time as the president of Umno, it may require a few generations to change.

"But for Umno to be relevant as a political party, Umno must change with the time so that it reflects the values and expectation of society.

"I believe Umno has got the message but like any political party, it takes time to change," he said.

(Source: The Sun Daily)