My Beloved Malaysia, Our Shared Homeland…
Happy National Day and Happy Malaysia Day to all my fellow Malaysians whom I hold dear.
For the past five years, I have shared my thoughts and reflections upon the arrival of National Day.
Each year, I touch upon the various challenges faced by our beloved nation, encompassing the economy and education, political reform, climate change, artificial intelligence, and the rapidly changing world around us.
All these challenges remain relevant and important. However, this year, I wish to speak about something more fundamental: who we are as a nation.
I often ask myself a simple question: what do we Malaysians have in common?
Before we are known as Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan, Orang Asli or Eurasian, and before our differences in political parties or views-who are we?
We are all children of Malaysia. Many of us then become husbands and wives. Many also become mothers and fathers.
We rejoice when our children achieve success. We lose sleep when they face difficulties. We worry when our parents grow old. We grieve when our loved ones leave us. We hope that future generations will enjoy a better life.
When we set aside all our differences, we discover a beautiful realisation. In truth, our commonalities are far greater than our differences.
I grew up in a small town called Pusing, in Perak. My childhood playmates were of Malay, Chinese and Indian descent.
We played sports together, swam together in former mining pools and rivers. We often visited and stayed overnight at one another’s homes.
Honestly, it never even crossed my mind to consider race before regarding someone as a friend.
Children possess an extraordinary gift. They see the person before they see status. Perhaps along the journey into adulthood, we increasingly lose that clarity.
Every child born into this world is a gift to humanity.
None of us has the special privilege of choosing our skin colour or our origins. Likewise with matters of faith, which is indeed a deeply personal matter.
Moreover, no one chooses their mother tongue or the family institution they are born into in this world.
Every one of us has a choice, every day, to become the Malaysian we wish to be. That choice is always in our hands and it will always remain ours.
Whatever our religion and beliefs, they all emphasise the same truth and wisdom: that every human being has inherent dignity. Whatever faith we follow, surely none of them instructs us to demean or hate other people because of their race or religion.
At Sunway, I strive to ensure we do not discriminate based on skin colour, passport or religion.
As a country of diverse cultures and beliefs, our diversity is certainly an advantage that deserves to be cherished.
We must strengthen our resolve to build a nation where all members can live with dignity and a spirited sense of togetherness.
Hatred can be learned, and so can respect. Division can be sown, and so can unity.
So, the question we face is not whether Malaysia can become a more united nation. The question is whether each of us is willing to become more generous-hearted Malaysians.
A country does not become more advanced on its own. It is its people who make a nation more illustrious.
The annals of history prove that there are some who unite societies and others who divide them.
Division is easy. It does not take much effort to sow fear between one group and another.
Conversely, building trust requires true courage. Often, the struggle for what is right and just demands great sacrifice.
Yet, we must remain steadfast in defending the principles and convictions that unite us as one country.
Every generation will ultimately be remembered by the bridges they built or the walls they left behind. Our generation is no exception.
Sometimes I wonder, how much more advanced Malaysia would be if the energy we spend on quarrelling and debating our differences were instead channelled into solving the problems we face together.
Imagine if we raced to build better schools, instead of competing to hurl provocative words. Imagine if we were known not for the loudest voices of criticism, but for the most brilliant ideas to build a better nation.
On a global scale, imagine if the United States and China chose to cooperate as siblings, rather than compete as adversaries. Surely the world would be a far better place for humanity.
When I was young, hardcore poverty greatly shaped my life. It taught me that education is the way out of hardship and destitution, towards a life of dignity.
I have never let go of that belief to this day.
My success in business gave me the opportunity to establish the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, with the aim of expanding access to quality education to as many young Malaysians as possible, regardless of race and background.
That goal drove me to transfer my entire equity holdings in the Sunway Education Group (encompassing Sunway International Schools, Sunway Colleges and Sunway University) to the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, under a non-profit structure.
This foundation is no longer owned by me or my family. It is now owned by Malaysia, for the benefit of Malaysians today and future generations.
Over RM4 billion has been contributed and allocated in perpetuity through this foundation.
To date, more than RM1.05 billion has been awarded in scholarships and grants.
Every scholarship given does not just mean one more Malaysian child gets the opportunity to further their studies at college or university. It means a family gets the chance to break free from the cycle of poverty and hardship. A dream is revived, and a future is rewritten. To me, this is nation-building.
However, government efforts alone are insufficient. Businesses, schools, religious organisations and parents cannot achieve this collective effort single-handedly either.
Every citizen has a role to play. A better Malaysia is not something we inherit. It is something we build together.
The world will not wait for us. Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we live, learn and work. Climate change is reshaping our future. Our neighbouring countries are actively investing in innovation, education and human capital development.
As the world surges forward, Malaysia cannot afford to be left behind, perpetually shackled by fear, prejudice and endless division.
Our children deserve to inherit something better-a nation confident enough to compete with the entire world.
Whether Malaysia remains competitive regionally or globally ultimately depends on how prepared the next generation is to face that competition.
Our responsibility as fathers, mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers is to prepare the next generation to face competition that is intense, fierce and relentless.
Although the journey is fraught with challenges, I remain hopeful.
Every time I meet Malaysian youth, I am inspired by their curiosity, creativity, compassion and confidence. Perhaps they will succeed in areas where previous generations, including my own, sometimes fell short. Perhaps they will finally build the Malaysia we have always dreamed of. I truly believe they can do it.
Every one of us will leave this world one day. Most people will probably not remember which political party we supported. They will probably not remember all the quarrels and debates on social media.
But they will remember whether we left Malaysia in a better state than before. More loving, just, united and hopeful.
To me, that is the true meaning of patriotism. Not merely loving the country for what it is today, but loving it enough to help make it a better place for tomorrow.
This is our home and the legacy we share. This is our shared responsibility and our shared future.
Let us build bridges strong enough to carry the next generation, and foster a more stable, more inclusive and more sustainable future for the entire nation.
Because the Malaysia we leave behind is the Malaysia our children will inherit. Let us join hands to build the nation they truly deserve.
We are together in this struggle. May we always be blessed.
Happy National Day, Happy Malaysia Day!
Tan Sri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO
Malaysian Citizen