We Must Never Again Descend Into Conflict.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib gave some very good advice that all Malaysians should take seriously, think about and act accordingly. What he said is absolutely true and everyone should read it. He reminded Malaysians to never again let this country descend into conflict as it only serves to bring terrible toll on lives, livelihoods and resources. Therefore, he said, Malaysians, especially the younger people must always remember the lesson brought by past conflict, and treasure the peace and the stability they were now enjoying.
"It is easy to take for granted what we have now. Young Malaysians especially, who have never witnessed conflict, may not realise the full worth of the peace that they have known all along," he said. Najib added it was easy to forget that in the last century this country had actually experienced no less than four episodes of serious conflicts, namely the Japanese occupation, the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) threat, `konfrontasi' and the May 13 ethnic riots.
He also stressed that Malaysians owed the stability and prosperity of this country today to the sacrifices made by the security forces as well those from Commonwealth countries who had served here during the communist conflict. "It is in large part owing to the sterling performance of the security forces during the Emergency years and thereafter, and their continued dedication today that we have been able to progress this far," he said.
Najib said however the government had also learned that it could never defeat the enemy without addressing and neutralising the factors that drove people to take up arms. "If a militant or terrorist movement is small we need not worry about this. We need only rely on police and military measures to overcome it. "But if the movement is relatively large and draws significant support from the people, as the CPM once did, we cannot defeat it without tackling the roots and grievances that nourish it," he said.
Pointing to the present situation of terrorism, Najib said: "The campaign against international terrorism would not succeed unless we confront the factors driving it squarely and make the necessary decisions." This, he said would require political courage. "So long as we continue to deny and deliberately confuse the issues in order to avert attention from the real issues, the insurgency and the terrorism will persist," he said.
**** So ponder over what he said and if you agree, and I see no reason for not doing so, please pass this on to others. Let us value the relative peace, stability and prosperity we now enjoy. It is human nature to miss or appreciate something only after it has gone for good. Let that not happen to us.
"It is easy to take for granted what we have now. Young Malaysians especially, who have never witnessed conflict, may not realise the full worth of the peace that they have known all along," he said. Najib added it was easy to forget that in the last century this country had actually experienced no less than four episodes of serious conflicts, namely the Japanese occupation, the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) threat, `konfrontasi' and the May 13 ethnic riots.
He also stressed that Malaysians owed the stability and prosperity of this country today to the sacrifices made by the security forces as well those from Commonwealth countries who had served here during the communist conflict. "It is in large part owing to the sterling performance of the security forces during the Emergency years and thereafter, and their continued dedication today that we have been able to progress this far," he said.
Najib said however the government had also learned that it could never defeat the enemy without addressing and neutralising the factors that drove people to take up arms. "If a militant or terrorist movement is small we need not worry about this. We need only rely on police and military measures to overcome it. "But if the movement is relatively large and draws significant support from the people, as the CPM once did, we cannot defeat it without tackling the roots and grievances that nourish it," he said.
Pointing to the present situation of terrorism, Najib said: "The campaign against international terrorism would not succeed unless we confront the factors driving it squarely and make the necessary decisions." This, he said would require political courage. "So long as we continue to deny and deliberately confuse the issues in order to avert attention from the real issues, the insurgency and the terrorism will persist," he said.
**** So ponder over what he said and if you agree, and I see no reason for not doing so, please pass this on to others. Let us value the relative peace, stability and prosperity we now enjoy. It is human nature to miss or appreciate something only after it has gone for good. Let that not happen to us.
posted by The Malaysian. at 8/12/2006 10:08:00 AM
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