Set aside political disputes and embrace Unity governance - Penang CM

GEORGETOWN - People in the state are advised to refrain from making any provocative or confrontational statements, as well as from using religious and racial sentiments, in order to maintain community harmony.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that people were also being asked to stop spreading false information, especially on social media, which could lead to division among people of multiple races.

He stated that this year's National Day celebration would be more meaningful as history is shaped by the formation of the Unity Government, thereby ending the turmoil of political uncertainty that has never happened before in the history of Malaysia.

"Tomorrow, it will be 66 years since we celebrated Merdeka. The fact is, achieving independence is not easy; round objects will not roll towards us, and flat objects will not float towards us.

"Contrarily, it requires struggle and sacrifice, and it is this spirit that must be continued based on unblemished unity.

"In line with this year's theme, 'Malaysia Madani: Tekad Perpaduan, Penuhi Harapan' (Determination in Unity, Fulfilling Hope), which symbolises the togetherness of Malaysians of diverse races, backgrounds, historical developments, and cross-cultural and racial assimilation," he said in his 66th National Day message on Wednesday.

Chow said unity brings the entire community together to form an identity with shared values and a sense of love for the country.

"The formation of this unity government proves the wisdom of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which is a pillar of unity and the well-being of the people. Therefore, let's all put aside political disputes after the 15th State Election (GE15) and focus on unity in governance.

"Without unity, we cannot achieve stability, well-being, and continuous progress. As a symbol of the new mandate of the unity government, a line of state executive council members has been appointed, and state assembly members elected by the people are now ready to serve the state," he said.

He also hoped that the beginning of new chapters and challenges for the next five years could be consolidated to ensure that the Penang Unity Government remains relevant.

Chow said this includes increasing the participation and well-being of the people and further driving development so that Penang continues to be a leader in progress.