On his official Facebook page, the king emphasised that tolerance and mutual respect have always been the pillars of national unity.

“As I have asserted before, multicultural unity is the most meaningful gift to me. Harmony and the spirit of unity among the people, regardless of religion or race, are crucial for the stability of the country,” Sultan Ibrahim said.

The king also expressed hope that Vaisakhi Day and Tamil New Year will continue to bring joy to those who celebrate them.

Anwar’s festive greetings

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, extending his festive greetings to the Tamil, Malayalee and Sikh communities, hoped the new year would continue to bring joy and prosperity to everyone celebrating. “Continue to foster the spirit of unity that is the pillar of our nation’s strength,” he said.

He also urged Malaysians to use the Songkran festival, which marks the Thai new year, as a platform to strengthen unity, peace and harmony.

In a Facebook post, he said the government was going to put an end to the attempts to use identity politics to divide society. He urged the Malaysian Siamese community to unite with other Malaysians and share their goals and determination.

PAS on respect of others

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, extending the party’s greetings, said: “The uniqueness and privilege of each community is always respected in addition to adding value to our shared life experience, while the success and well-being of each group is a measure of our success as a nation.”

He said PAS hopes that the joy of Hari Raya Aidilfitri would continue and be shared with the new year celebrations in the spirit of goodwill, friendship and mutual respect.

Today is new year’s day for the Tamil, Malayalee and Sikh communities: Vaisakhi day marks the beginning of the harvest season according to the Sikh calendar, while Chithirai Puthandu marks the Tamil new year, and Vishnu the Malayalee new year.

Songkran, known as the water splashing festival, is celebrated for three days every year beginning April 13.