Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the media have a social responsibility to work with the government towards nation building despite having differing policies.
"The media might take a different path...Sin Chew might take a different path...Utusan (Malaysia) might take a different path...other papers might take a different path, but although we take different paths, we must converge and we must reach our final destination," said the Prime Minister in his speech at the Sin Chew Media Group Chinese New Year Celebration at its headquarters, here Sunday.
Najib said the final destination for the media to converge was towards "a stronger, better, united, harmonious and prosperous Malaysia."
He hoped that the media, in implementing their differing policies, were aware that they were not pulling apart the society but bringing them together as Malaysians.
"We take different paths because we must allow some latitude in our society. We must allow some room for differences of opinion and even dissent but we must be conscious that we are not pulling apart this society, but we (must ensure that we) are slowly but surely bringing all Malaysians together," he said.
Najib also stressed that the demands made by a particular community should not be at the expense of other communities in the country.
"When we have differences in opinion we must always be aware...yes we can make demands...yes we can make statements but that should not be to the point that whatever we demand, whatever we say, whatever we do will be at the expense of some other community.
"It cannot and should not be a zero sum game. It should be on the basis that what is good for my community is also good for all Malaysians," Najib said.
He said that if all communities had the same thinking, "I am confident that we can have a colourful tapestry in our society".
Najib said there was no other society in the world that was as colourful as Malaysia.
"(And) in this part of the world...in South East Asia you cannot get a nation that is more colourful than Malaysia. But that should be our strength and that should be our challenge. It should not be an obstacle. It should not hold us back," he said.
The Prime Minister said that the people must move together as one and as one nation in the spirit of 1Malaysia for a stronger and better Malaysia.
Talking about Tiger, since this year is the Tiger Year according to the Chinese calendar, Najib said although the tiger symbolised vitality and courage, the animal also was an endangered species.
"So if we don't look after the tiger, the tiger will surely disappear. If we don't look after this nation...this nation will go down," he said.
He called on the people to together build this nation so that a true legacy for Malaysia could be left behind. - Bernama
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