NGOs Responsible for Upholding 1Malaysia Concept - Minister

SEREMBAN (Negeri Sembilan,Malaysia), June 26 (Bernama) -- Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim said all non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country have a responsibility to promote patriotism and inter-racial harmony in line with the 1Malaysia concept. Besides this, he said he hoped that they would also refreshen activities to promote noble values in society. "This is because the influence of the tens of thousands of NGOs in the country cannot be underrated, they hold a huge sway on the people. Therefore, the role of nurturing the spirit of patriotism and moral values is very important. "This can be done through their respective associations and also through activities relating to schools," he told reporters after holding a meeting with members of writers, media and photographers associations in Negeri Sembilan here on Monday. Rais said noble values should be inculcated at all levels of society right from childhood and that NGOs could pioneer new ideas for the purpose so that they could play a key role in this. "By doing this, I am confident we can strengthen our society and make the 1Malaysia concept more successful. It goes without saying that in a multi-cultural society like Malaysia, we must be conscious about the sensitivities of each community. "In other words, we should try to gain knowledge from each other whether from the Malays, Chinese or Indians. By understanding each other better we will be able to build a truly resilient society for the future," he said. At the function, 10 NGOs in Negeri Sembilan including Negeri Sembilan Press Club (Kelana), Negeri Sembilan Writers Association (PEN), Angkatan Seni Foto Negeri Sembilan (Asfon), Historical Society of Malaysia, Negeri Sembilan branch and Negeri Sembilan Painters Association (Pelukis) received a contribution of RM10,000 (US$3,129.55) each. -- BERNAMA