Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email MALACCA: The MCA Youth has pledged to defend the sanctity of the Federal Constitution to ensure a united and progressive society that allows the freedom to practise one’s religion.
Movement chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said the spirit of the Constitution must be preserved for a long time for the sake of the future generation and the document must be the reference point.
“Whenever there is a conflict of opinions about a situation we are not comfortable about, we should refer back to the Constitution,” he said during his speech at the opening of the movement’s annual general assembly.
Liow said it was not MCA’s culture and certainly not the MCA Youth’s, to wave a sword when making a point.
“If we wanted to wave something, why not a handphone? A handphone signifies communication and can also be said to promote understanding. We in the MCA Youth rather wave the Federal Constitution,” Liow said as he held out a copy of the document.
His entire central committee then stood up and waved copies of the country’s supreme law to loud applause from the floor.
Party deputy president Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy opened the assembly which was held at the Pay Fong Middle school hall here yesterday.
Liow reminded the delegates not to take lightly the unity which had been enjoyed since independence but instead strive to not only preserve but also to strengthen it.
“We must appreciate the unity and remind ourselves of the spirit behind our Federal Constitution, which is full of spirit of solidarity, natural justice and goodwill.”
Quoting Perak Raja Muda Raja Nazrin Shah, Liow said the integrity of that document must be protected at all costs and that many misunderstandings may be avoided if the principles embodied in the Constitution were adhered to strictly.
“We should not pressure others or to cause tension but instead promote the culture of open-mindedness and always be ready to engage in healthy discourse.
“In the Barisan family, we are brothers, there is no master and slave, there is no question of who is being scared of whom or who should kowtow to whom,” Liow added to applause.
He said the authorities should do away with labels like ‘Muslims and non-Muslims’, ‘bumiputras and non-bumiputras’ among Malaysians to eradicate racism and advocate the spirit of ‘rakyat Malaysia’.
Liow also revealed that the Education Ministry had allocated RM14mil for Chinese primary schools under a four-year adoption programme by MCA Youth.
He said the move was to upgrade the quality of education in Chinese primary schools to a higher level that was comparable to international standards.
