Dear Malaysia: Our shared beloved home

Dear fellow Malaysians, on this National Day, I reflect on the challenges that our beloved nation faces. Our economy, education, corruption, political reforms, climate change, artificial intelligence, and rapid change in the world are all issues that demand our attention. These challenges are still relevant and important today. However, this year, I wish to delve deeper into the question of who we are as a people.

Before we are Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans, Orang Asli, or Eurasian, and before we belong to different political parties or hold diverse opinions, at our core, we are all sons and daughters of Malaysia. We are more alike than different. Growing up in Pusing, Perak, my closest childhood friends were Malays, Chinese, and Indians.

We spent time together, playing sports, swimming in the old mining pools and rivers, and sleeping over in each other's homes. We didn't ask about each other's race before being friends. Children see people before they see labels. Perhaps along the way to adulthood, we may have lost some of that wisdom. Each new life is a gift to humanity.

Nobody chose their skin color or where they were born. Religion and language are deeply personal. Every faith teaches us that every human life is valuable. None of them tells us to hate someone because of their race or religion. In Sunway, I strive to be "colour-blind, passport-blind, and religion-blind." Our diversity is a strength that we must cherish.

We must strive for unity and build a nation where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Hatred can be learned, but so can respect. Division is cultivated, but unity can also be cultivated. Unity is not a matter of chance; it is a choice that each of us must make. Throughout history, there have always been those who unite people, while there are also those who seek to divide us.

Division is easy, but building trust requires courage. We must remain steadfast in our commitment to uphold the ideals that bind us as a nation. Every generation will be remembered by the bridges it builds or the walls it leaves behind. Our generation will be no different. Imagine if we had focused on solving our common problems instead of arguing over our differences.

What if we invested more in education than in insults? What if Malaysia was known for the wisest ideas to build a better nation? A better Malaysia is not something we inherit; it is something we build together. Governments cannot do it alone; businesses, schools, religious organizations, and parents also have a role to play. Every citizen has a part to play in nation-building. Our future depends on the choices we make every day.