IPOH, Jan 24 — The Ministry of National Unity (KPN) will look into proposals to recognise the Baba Nyonya and Chetti communities as icons of national unity.

Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said KPN was open to accepting nominations of individuals or communities with the potential to serve as unity icons, to showcase the harmony of the country’s multi-racial society.

“We will look into this matter, and the ministry has a number of unity icons. Pandelela Rinong from Sarawak is recognised as the top unity icon, and under Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa, we have not only icons but also agents of unity.

“The ministry has also received many proposals from the public to recognise national leadership figures as unity icons,” he said.

He said this when met at the Perak state-level Mock Cheque Handover Ceremony for the 2026 Komuniti Rakyat Madani Satellite Programme at the Kampung Dato’ Ahmad Said Tambahan 2 National Information Dissemination Centre here today.

During the debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address at the recent Dewan Rakyat sitting, Tangga Batu MP Bakri Jamaluddin proposed that the Baba Nyonya and Chetti Melaka communities be recognised as national unity icons.

In a separate development, Aaron said KPN would follow any government decision on the National Education Blueprint 2026-2035, including the admission of six-year-old children into Year One.

“All initiatives put forward are aimed at standardising the quality of education across the country. Tabika Perpaduan will look into the specific needs later,” he said.

He described the initiative as a positive step, noting that there are nearly 30,000 kindergartens nationwide, including government, private, international, religious, Tabika Perpaduan, and Community Development Department (Kemas) institutions. — Bernama