Melaka - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called on the Malays and Muslims to improve themselves and set a higher goal to achieve excellence.
"If we are advanced and successful, other people will look at us especially if the success benefits not only us, our families and the race and nation but it can also contribute to the civilisation and mankind and to other races."
He said this when opening the "Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam" (DMDI) convention here today. Present were Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
Abdullah said that when a race had been recognised, they would be known and from there, they would receive honour.
He said that if they did not set higher goals and work to achieve them, only obsoleteness would exist.
"Obsolete means no movements forward, stationary, no progress, no addition, no added value and so on.
"When it happens, disintegration will soon occur; perhaps becomes extinct and ceases to exist," he said.
Therefore, he said, the Malays must build their strength with knowledge and the effort should never end.
"We need to strive hard to achieve something and most importantly, human capital development should be our top priority programme," he said.
At the function, Mohd Ali who is DMDI president, conferred the prime minister with the "Mansyur Shah DMDI" award while Mohamad Hasan, Riau Governor Drs Ismeth Abdullah and Philippines congressman Datuk Pax S Manggudadatu received the "Tun Perak DMDI" award.
About 1,000 people from countries like Malaysia, South Africa, Australia, China, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Indonesia attended the convention.
Source: www.bernama.com.my (16 November 2007)
