PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob called on the “Malaysian family” today to join hands in the battle against Covid-19 and to free the country of economic turmoil and political instability.

In his address in conjunction with National Day tomorrow, Ismail said the double challenge of having to deal with a pandemic and an economic downturn, which has impacted political stability globally, was unprecedented prior to this.

“In conjunction with the National Day spirit, we must continue battling Covid-19 as our main foe. Our success in doing this will pave the way to economic recovery in the new normal.

“The economy must be healed, the people’s well-being must be enhanced and investor confidence must return,” he said in the address aired live on local television and radio stations tonight.

One way the Malaysian family can help in the nation’s recovery, the prime minister said, was to be vaccinated as soon as possible as vaccines have been proven to have a positive impact against Covid-19.

The prime minister said that that only through full cooperation from all parties will the war against Covid-19 end in victory.

Looking back in history, Ismail said, the country’s independence movement after the end of World War 2 had united the people across the political divide in rejecting the Malayan Union.

He said this was a clear manifestation of the people’s struggle to achieve independence at the expense of the lives of many national heroes.

“The nation hails their struggles and sacrifices, especially the armed forces and the police from then till now,” he said.

The Prime Minister also invited citizens to have a sense of togetherness, as shown by former leaders Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, Abdul Razak Hussein, Hussein Onn, Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, Tan Cheng Lock, H.S. Lee and V.T. Sambanthan.

“This also includes leaders from Sabah and Sarawak, such as Mustapha Harun, Muhammad Fuad Stephens, Abdul Rahman Ya’kub and Jugah Barieng, during the formation of Malaysia. This sense of togetherness should be emulated to heal and rebuild the nation,” he said.

The 2021 National Day celebration at Dataran Pahlawan Negara, Putrajaya tomorrow, themed Malaysia Prihatin (Malaysia Cares), will be brief and held moderately in view of Covid-19. – Bernama, August 30, 2021.