National Unity

Malaysia is a nation in which multi-ethnicity thrive in spite of differences of religion and culture. The tensions underlying this unity, however, are real and present ongoing challenges to the country's leadership in maintaining peace and harmony in this country. How has Malaysia remained unscathed by racial violence that plague other multi-ethnic nations, even while achieving exemplary growth rates since its Independence in 1957? In this monograph, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, speaks on the policies that the country's leaders have pursued in balancing the needs of the different communities as well as the risks and challenges that remain, particularly on the part of the majority ethnic community, the Malays. His speech is followed by a panel session in which Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr. Khoo Kay Kim, of Universiti Malaya, Dr. KJ John, former Vice President (Strategic Interventions) of MIMOS Berhad, Col (R) Professor Dato' Dr. Kamarudin Kachar, Chairman and Chief Consultant of Prished Consultants International, Kuala Lumpur, Ms Siti Salwa, student representative of Northern Malaysia University College of Engineering, and Mr. Saiful Azhar, Universiti Teknologi MARA Student Council Head, comment on the points he raised as well as on the topic itself. This monograph contains the summary of the keynote address and panel session, and is useful reference for researchers of Malaysian history and politics. The Perdana Discourse Series was jointly organised by Perdana Leadership Foundation, an independent research and archive institution dedicated to Malaysia's Prime Ministers, and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), the biggest public university in Malaysia.