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Ending the visit to Penang by officiating the reopening of Fort Cornwallis, which gives deep meaning not only to the people of Penang, but also to all Malaysians. Heritage conservation efforts like Fort Cornwallis are not just beautifying a city, but restoring the history that shaped this country. As Mark Twain said, a city can be advanced and modern, but will become arid if it loses culture. Because of that, development must go hand in hand with efforts to preserve heritage and understand the history that forms the nation's identity. We did not preserve Fort Cornwallis to glorify colonialism. Instead, we preserve it so that today's generation understands that once upon a time, the fate of a country was determined by foreign powers, not by its own people. This bitter and bitter history should be a lesson so that we do not repeat it. We must not erase history, nor deny historical facts. But our history must not be dictated by the narrative of our former colonial masters. It must be reclaimed and reconstructed by our own people, to give meaning to the sacrifices, suffering and devotion that shaped this nation, and to make it relevant to our society and our future. The lesson of history is quite clear. Without unity, development, peace and defense strength, others will decide our fate. That is why we must build internal strength through the unity and spirit of unity of all races, by putting national interests above the narrow interests of racism and religious extremists. From the beginning of the formation of the country, the previous leaders understood the fact that Malaysia is a friendly country. Therefore, Tunku Abdul Rahman chose the motto "Bersekutu Bertambah Mertu", because only by uniting we are able to raise the quality and dignity of the country and guarantee justice for every citizen. May Fort Cornwallis continue to be a space for the younger generation to understand the value of unity, the value of a free and independent country, as well as the disaster when we are colonized. History is not just the remains of bricks or a series of events, but a series of experiences that should educate us about the responsibility of defending peace, independence and the future of the country. #MalaysiaMADANI #YakinMADANI
Notes
Mengakhiri kunjungan ke Pulau Pinang dengan merasmikan pembukaan semula Fort Cornwallis, yang memberi makna mendalam bukan sahaja kepada rakyat Pulau Pinang, tetapi juga seluruh rakyat Malaysia. Usaha memulihara warisan seperti Fort Cornwallis bukan sekadar mengindahkan sebuah kota, tetapi mengembalikan sejarah yang membentuk negara ini. Seperti diungkapkan Mark Twain, sebuah kota boleh maju dan moden, tetapi akan menjadi gersang jika kehilangan budaya. Kerana itu pembangunan harus berjalan seiring dengan usaha memelihara warisan serta memahami sejarah yang membentuk jati diri negara. Kita tidak memulihara Fort Cornwallis untuk mengagungkan penjajahan. Sebaliknya, kita memeliharanya supaya generasi hari ini memahami bahawa suatu ketika dahulu, nasib negara pernah ditentukan oleh kuasa asing, bukan oleh rakyatnya sendiri. Sejarah yang pahit dan getir ini harus menjadi pengajaran agar kita tidak mengulanginya. We must not erase history, nor deny historical facts. But our history must not be dictated by the narrative of our former colonial masters. It must be reclaimed and reconstructed by our own people, to give meaning to the sacrifices, suffering and devotion that shaped this nation, and to make it relevant to our society and our future. Pengajaran sejarah itu cukup jelas. Tanpa perpaduan, pembangunan, keamanan dan kekuatan pertahanan, orang lain akan menentukan nasib kita. Sebab itu kita harus membina kekuatan dalaman melalui kesatuan dan semangat perpaduan semua kaum, dengan meletakkan kepentingan negara mengatasi kepentingan sempit perkauman dan pelampau agama. Sejak awal pembentukan negara, para pemimpin terdahulu memahami hakikat bahawa Malaysia ialah sebuah negara yang rencam. Justeru Tunku Abdul Rahman memilih moto “Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu”, kerana hanya dengan bersatu kita mampu mengangkat mutu dan martabat negara serta menjamin keadilan untuk setiap rakyat. Semoga Fort Cornwallis terus menjadi ruang untuk generasi muda memahami harga sebuah perpaduan, harga negara yang bebas dan merdeka, serta bencana apabila kita dijajah. Sejarah bukan sekadar tinggalan batu-bata atau rentetan peristiwa, tetapi coretan pengalaman yang harus mendidik kita tentang tanggungjawab mempertahankan keamanan, kemerdekaan dan masa depan negara. #MalaysiaMADANI #YakinMADANI