KUCHING, Dec 22 ― State PKR chief Baru Bian today called on fellow Sarawakians to approach each other as human beings and give friendship as the gift for Christmas.

He said giving is not just confined to the giving of material things, but extends to the gift of service and friendship to those around them.

"In our community of diverse races and ethnicities, it is important to cultivate harmony and understanding of each other’s cultures and practices, and a good way of doing that is by offering a hand of friendship to those around us,” he said in his Christmas message.

Baru, who is also the Works Minister, noted that modern living and hectic lifestyles together with the politicising of certain issues such as race and religion have led to a polarising of the people of this country.

He believed that most of Malaysians do not want this to be the state of affairs, asserting that they want to live in a country that values unity and harmony.

He said he made a visit last week to his birthplace Long Luping and Long Semadoh in Ba'Kelalan with a group of volunteers, bringing school supplies for the schoolchildren and other gifts for the elderly and those in need.

"Interacting with the villagers, it dawned upon me that all the sayings about the joy of giving are basic truths,” he said, reminding himself in the Book of Matthew where Jesus Christ commanded his disciples to preach the kingdom of God to their own people, the Jews.

He said in that mission, the disciples were reminded not to take any gold or silver with them since they had received so much from God, but they should freely give to the people they met.

"It was the exact example of what our heavenly Father God did by freely giving Jesus Christ to the world to save sinners from eternal judgment, and therefore we must and we should, freely and readily do good to those around us who are in need.

"This is more necessary now as there are many in dire need of assistance with the downturn in the economy,” he said, adding that sharing what they have with others should not only be during the Christmas season.

Baru, who is also the Selangau Member of Parliament and Ba'Kelalan State Assemblyman, reminded Sarawakians that good work must be done as and when they see the needs around them that are not being met.