By Yasmin Ramlan
KLANG, Nov 5 — Amid the racial and political issues that divide some of us, Selangor stands out and shines as a model of unity, where people from all walks of life come together and socialise harmoniously.
AT the state-level Deepavali celebration 2023 last night, Selangor Journal interviewed some of the residents who attended the event, and found that they believe the unity fostered in Selangor contributes significantly to the growth of its economy.
Nirmala Silvaraju, a 20-year-old student hailing from Klang, conveyed her appreciation for having spent her entire life in Selangor, where she cherished the opportunity to embrace harmony with people from diverse backgrounds
“We can see that compared to other states, here (in Selangor) we enjoy a lot of benefits when it comes to celebrations.
“We are together when there are celebrations such as Deepavali, Hari Raya, Christmas and Chinese New Year, where everyone is celebrated equally.
“In Selangor, they’re even celebrating the Sikh community (Vaisakhi),” she said, referring to one of the minority groups that made up 2.5 per cent of the national population.
According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) in 2019, Selangor’s population was estimated at 6.53 million, with the majority being Bumiputra, which accounted for 3.53 million people, followed by the Chinese which accounted for 1.57 million people and the Indian community that accounted for 731,000 people, with non-Malaysians accounting for approximately 649,000 individuals.
As of July this year, the state’s population is estimated at approximately 7.2 million people.
Equal distribution of incentives
One of the attendees hailing from Subang Jaya, who preferred to be known as Gobinath shared his experience of living without fear and feeling safe in the company of his Chinese and Malay neighbours.
“To be frank, there are some places that are divided, especially among the older generation. However, it is rarely seen among the younger generation,” said the 39-year-old auxiliary police officer, who originally hailed from Ipoh, Perak.
He then emphasised how the Selangor initiative ensures that no one is excluded from benefiting when it comes to the distribution of the state’s incentives.
“Even the Iltizam Anak Selangor initiative does not discriminate or divide the people by race, where all races are eligible to apply,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rafik Anuar, who attended the event with his wife, described how the Madani government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim encouraged the spirit of unity.
“This can clearly be seen in Selangor where people from different backgrounds practised tolerance and maintained harmony.
“Under the administration of Menteri Besar (Dato’ Seri) Amirudin Shari, we have seen an equitable distribution of incentives, which ensures that no racial or religious group faces discrimination.
“In fact, due to the state’s resilient economy, there are many job opportunities for the young people in Selangor,” said the self-employed 48-year-old.
