KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — History could repeat itself and Malaysia recolonised if Malaysians do not defend the independence gained through the struggles of its past heroes, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in his speech for National Day 2022 tomorrow.
Ismail Sabri said colonialism no longer took the same form it did during the colonial era and was now more insidious due to the creeping globalisation that has left many countries reeling from its effects.
He said these new forms of intangible threats were dangerous as they were the easiest way to strip a nation’s mind and identity before destroying it in the process.
“The modern form of colonialism is emerging now and all countries in the world are affected by it, namely economically, technologically, and culturally.
“These external elements use various means to recolonise in more sophisticated forms.
“Only the love for our country would allow us to continue working together and unite to defend the values of peace, harmony and independence in order to safeguard our sovereignty,” he said.
Ismail Sabri earlier cited Malaysia’s recent achievements, from having its gross domestic product (GDP) rising by 8.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the previous quarter to achieving foreign fund inflows of RM41.7 billion compared to RM23.3 billion from before the pandemic.
The prime minister also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to past national heroes and security personnel whose contributions allowed Malaysians today to enjoy the fruits of independence.
National Day 2022, themed “Malaysian Family, Strong Together”, will be celebrated tomorrow on a large scale at Dataran Merdeka, with 50,000 visitors expected to be present.
