Monday May 26, 2008

Seven ‘heroes’ honoured

PUTRAJAYA: Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye and Datuk Michael Chong were among seven personalities honoured for their extensive contribution towards unity, peace and harmony among Malaysians.

Social activist Lee, 62, was named Tokoh Perpaduan (Unity Hero) while Chong, head of the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department was awarded the Kalung Perpaduan (Unity Chain) by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The awards were given in conjunction with the launch of Unity Month yesterday.

With a bang: Najib hitting a giant drum to signify the launch of Unity Month on Sunday. Helping him is Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

The other Tokoh Perpaduan was former Sabah Yang di-Pertua Tun Sakaran Dandai.

Other Kalung Perpaduan recipients were cartoonist Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid, better known as Lat, S. Krishnamoorthy, Nafisah Abdullah and Mohd Afzal Hamzah.

Sakaran was honoured for his active role in promoting religious understanding in Sabah.

Lat received the honour for educating the public on racial integration through his cartoons and animation series while Nafisah was honoured for saving a Chinese woman and her nine-month-old baby in a fire in Kota Baru last year.

Nineteen-year-old “ferry fire hero” S. Krishnamoorthy received the Kalung Perpaduan because of his heroic act in saving 18 lives during a ferry fire off the coast of Mersing last year while labourer Mohd Afzal saved a Chinese woman from being a snatch theft victim in an incident in Brickfields last year.

In his speech, Najib said it was important for Malaysians to identify themselves as Bangsa Malaysia and not by their race.

He said the creation of Bangsa Malaysia was not something that was unrealistic.

“We just have to put it in our minds that when we look at another Malaysian, we do not identify him or her from the colour, religion or her cultural background.

“The person should be just another Malaysian whose nobility, strength and character values transcend the colour of his skin,” he said.

Najib said it was important for the younger generation to carry forward the agenda of national unity, for them to realise where they came from and not to reject whatever that had been enshrined in the Constitution.