KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Malaysians should not boycott National Day celebrations because of their sentiments towards the Rohingya people, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said today.

He said Malaysians should instead use the occasion to express their love for the country and clearly establish their commitment to not turning Malaysia into a political platform for foreign elements.

“Malaysia is our home.

“As the owners, we should not stop protecting and preserving our homes just because we disagree on the presence of people who came here uninvited,” Mohamed Khaled said during the National Day celebration at the Defence Ministry here today.

“So, do not let go of the opportunity to express your love for the country just because we disagree on some issues in our country,” he added.

His remarks came after several social media users urged Malaysians either not to participate in the National Day celebrations or to turn up at the parade in Putrajaya with banners supporting the Rohingya cause.

Separately, two of the Malaysian Armed Forces’ (MAF) latest land assets, Tedung and Kala Jengking, also made their debut at the celebrations today.

Tedung, developed based on Brazil’s Agrale Marruá AM250 Double Cab, is a high-mobility vehicle that can be fitted with automatic grenade launchers (AGL) and heavy machine guns (HMG).

The MAF has acquired 80 units of Tedung with AGL and 83 units with HMG for RM92.91 million.

Meanwhile, Kala Jengking is a high-mobility reconnaissance vehicle that comes with a dual-phase 980 steel cage for tactical mobility across various terrains.

The MAF has acquired 100 units of the asset for RM72 million.