Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Joseph Kurup said the upward move in ranking would give the country a good image.
“The country’s achievement is proven in a study published by the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) that aims to measure a country’s peace.
“This shows that the country’s economy is still good coupled with a drop in crime or violence, that can undermine the peace and harmony of its people,” he told a media conference after launching the state-level Merdeka Month and Unity Week here yesterday.
Also present were Jerantut Member of Parliament Ahmad Nazlan Idris and National Unity and Integration director-general Baharin Idris.
Joseph also praised the country’s multi-racial society for their mutual love and respect for each other, and their efforts to live in harmony together.
“This proves that our society prefers to live in a harmonious environment, respects one another and are wiling to develop the country’s economy together,” he said.
In conjunction with Merdeka Month, Joseph said he hoped the people would fly the Jalur Gemilang in a show of love for the country.
“This is the time for us to show our love and loyalty to our sovereign and independent country,” he said.