Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said Sabah and neighbouring Sarawak are fortunate to be spared from the religious tensions reported elsewhere in the country.
He stressed that Sabah’s example is particularly important at a time when Malaysia faces challenges in maintaining unity across ethnic and religious lines.
Advertisement
“In Sabah, we have never heard of hatred among followers of different religions, even within a single family. There may be members of different faiths, yet we remain brothers and sisters,” he said at the 2026 Lunar New Year dinner at Magellan Sutera organised by the Sabah Chinese Muslim Association (Macma).
He said Malaysia was founded on the spirit of multiculturalism and multi-religious understanding, and that Sabah has remained true to that promise since the formation of the federation in 1963.
He said it is heartening to read daily reports of religious disputes that could undermine national unity reported in the peninsula.
“Sabah should continue to be a good example of what harmony truly means and what Malaysia truly represents. We don’t have to kill each other in order to live. There is no meaning to life if we need to harm another person just to survive,” he said.
Masidi also emphasised the importance of dialogue and compromise in resolving differences, acknowledging that it is difficult to satisfy everyone but essential to ensure peace and progress.
“What matters is that we are willing to sit down, discuss our differences, and find solutions that allow our state and nation to remain harmonious and prosperous,” he said.
The Sabah Government recently approved a parcel of land for the Sabah Chinese Muslim Association to build a Chinese Islamic Centre. The proposed development is expected to include not only a mosque but also cultural facilities that could serve as a future tourist attraction in the State Capital.
Masidi hoped that the new centre would further strengthen cultural understanding and unity.
_(1)_(1).%5B1%5D.png)
