Moderation Holds Potential To Guarantee Peace And Harmony, Says PM Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Tun Razak said that considering the landscape of today’s social, political and economic development, moderation holds the potential to guarantee some level of peace and harmony. He said extremism, as witnessed by many, is not an acceptable school of thought and has all the risks of causing lasting damage to a nation. Expressing his views in his latest entry on his www.1Malaysia.com.my blog, the prime minister said he believed that the world in the 21st century seems to be in a state of permanent flux where radical changes can take place anytime, unprecedented and unannounced. He said such changes have been seen in the recent revolutionary wave in the Middle East and parts of North Africa, dubbed as the Arab Spring. "We have learnt that the power of the people’s voice is so strong that even decades-old dictators were ousted, to make way for new democracies. "These incidents and many others are discerning indications that global leadership must take on a new approach for the sake of safeguarding peace and harmony. I am certain that leaders from all over the world will respond positively to my call for a global moderation movement," he said. Najib pushed for a “global movement of moderates” at the United Nations general assembly in New York last year and the quest was continued during the Langkawi International Dialogue in Putrajaya in June, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth in October and the Apec Summit in Hawaii last month. The prime minister said that by prioritising the people and by putting them first, the government is able to keep itself checked and always balanced on the middle ground. "To me, this is the right thing to do, as governments exist to serve the people thus the voice of the people must always be heard when fashioning policies and programmes. "And this is exactly the promise I made in the 1Malaysia agenda – People First, Performance Now," he said. However, Najib said, it must be remembered that in order to succeed, moderation must be equally shouldered and practised by the people, as well as the leadership. He said that while the voices of the people often can bring about change, it is the moderate behaviour and attitude, formed on the basis of mutual respect and acceptance, that ensures that the change is positive and good for the nation. In the entry, Najib also announced that Kuala Lumpur is to host the inaugural International Conference on the Global Movement of the Moderates next year. He said this historic event will not only be an important milestone for Malaysia, but will also be an important testimony to the world that we are indeed one nation synonymous to unity and harmony. Najib said he is also excited of the possibilities of Malaysia being referred to as the benchmarking case study of a nation of the moderates to the rest of the world. "This is an opportunity for us to not only showcase our 1Malaysia spirit to the world but also a chance for us to strengthen our dynamism further as a nation living in peace and unity despite our different backgrounds, races, cultures and beliefs. "We should be proud of ourselves and let this be a reminder for us to be thankful for being a Malaysian. We should make the very best out of this chance," he said. -- BERNAMA