I was in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province in China, when I heard the sad news of the death of firefighter Adib Mohd Kassim, and I tweeted as follows:

“Shocked over Adib’s death. He is a Malaysian patriot and hero. His perpetrators must be punished. Let Adib be our inspiration.”

Adib is not just a Malay hero, but a hero for all Malaysians and must be honoured as an inspiration to build a new and united Malaysia which can be a world showcase of a successful plural nation.

It will be great if an annual Adib Award can be started on next year’s National Day to honour Adib’s services and sacrifices as an inspiration for Malaysians to dedicate themselves to the building of a new and united Malaysian nation which is also a showcase to the world of inter-racial, inter-religious and inter-cultural harmony, tolerance and understanding in a plural society.

There are those who want to use Adib’s death to incite racial and religious tensions and unrest in the country.

I do not think this is what Adib would want to see, as he would want to dedicate his life to the building of a united, harmonious, successful and prosperous multiracial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural Malaysian nation.

(Media statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Christmas Day, December 25, 2018)