My warmest greetings to all Muslims on welcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri and to all Malaysians on our 54th Merdeka Day. Once again, we are blessed that we are able to celebrate these two auspicious festivities this year in peace and harmony.

As we all know, Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a special occasion for grace and glory for Muslims after going through the trying month of Ramadhan, for members of the Muslim community to reconcile and forgive amongst one another, a good gesture now also adopted by members of other communities. It also offers an opportunity for all Malaysians to show compassion and to practice inclusiveness and “Wasatiyah” or moderation which is a basic concept in Islam, as well as in other major world religions.

In the past 54 years, this very spirit of moderation has enabled Malaysians to go through the trials and tribulations of nation building, sustaining harmony and forging unity in the midst of ethnic, religious and cultural diversity and differences in views and interest. Moderation will be even more pertinent as we move forward to face future challenges fraught with uncertainty and entropy. We should combat and resist all forms of extremism.

While rejoicing during our double festivities, we must not forget the sacrifices of our forefathers and the ones who have gone before us – leaving behind a legacy of what we are enjoying now as a nation. We must also not forget those who are less fortunate and not able to enjoy festivals and in fact life the way we do. Hence, this is an occasion to give a helping hand, to share and to care.

On this note and on behalf of Gerakan, my very best wishes to all, “Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri,” “Maaf Zahir dan Batin,” and “Selamat Hari Merdeka,” in the spirit of 1Malaysia and harmony.