HARI RAYA PUASA message by Ketua Pembangkang and DAP Secretary-General, Lim Kit Siang, on 14.9.1977:
Hari Raya Puasa Message
I wish all Muslims in Malaysia Selamat Hari Raya Puasa. Malaysia has been Merdeka for 20 years, and a new generation of Malaysians have grown up, celebrating Hari Raya Puasa without memories of political colonialism.
However, economic colonialism is still all-pervasive in our economy and country, as evident by the dominance and monopoly of foreign capital in Malaysian economy.
There is a great need for Malaysians to depend more on Malaysian resources, whether it be capital, manpower or skill.
Malaysia has probably the most number of religious festivals and customs in the world. As a multi-religious and multi-racial nation, the diversity of the Malaysian way of life is the secret of our strength.
Any attempt to enforce conformity or uniformity will weaken the Malaysian solidarity, and strike at the very basis of Malaysian nation-building.
Malaysia can only succeed, of every religion, every culture and every racial custom, works towards promoting broader Malaysian outlook to promote unity out of diversity, and not to exclude groups inside Malaysia because of non-adherence to faith or beliefs.
Every religion or religious faith in Malaysia, in other words, must contribute to the Malaysian nation-building, which is to strengthen a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious society.
It is only in this path that Malaysia’s survival and success lies. Any other road is a road to national suicide.