This ceremony for the DAP Secretary-General, Anthony Loke, who is also the
Transport Minister, to hand over a cheque for RM97,447.42 to the Cheng Hoon Teng trustees for Bukit China represents not only a nation-wide campaign for green lung and cultural heritage in Malacca, but part of the long-term struggle to realise the Malaysian Dream.
One of the Save-Bukit China Campaign activities 40 years ago, the One-Person-One-Dollar Campaign, in response to the Malacca state government to collect quit rent arrears as part of its design to demolish the cemetery hill, was meant to last for two or three years throughout the country, but we suspended it in January 1985 after three weeks having collected RM24,163 for the issue to be resolved.
There are those who want Malaysians to continue to fight over issues of the past but we must move on and be concerned about the future.
When Malaya achieved Independence in 1957, and in particular when Malaysia was formed in 1963, it was clearly stated that Malaya and then Malaysia was a plural nation, with different races, languages, religions and cultures.
Our challenge is how we can unite the people in a plural society to become a great world-class nation
In the past quarter of a century, we have fallen as nation because we were in national decline. Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or culture, cannot succeed as a great world-class nation if we continue to be divided and fail to live up to the highest standards of good governance, educational excellence and human attainments.
The challenge to the diverse races, religions, cultures and civilizations which had made Malaysia their home is whether they can use their wisdom and expertise to make Malaysia rise up again as a great world-class country and be a role model to the world of inter-ethnic, inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilisation dialogue,, understanding, tolerance and success.