The leader of Muslim-majority Malaysia called Wednesday for racial unity to ensure the country remains stable and progressive. In a message to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the country's stability had come after years of effort to bridge differences among the three key ethnic races. «I urge all Malaysians to continue to nurture and sustain an attitude of cooperation and compromise, to stay united and appreciate one another because these are keys to our peace and prosperity,» Abdullah was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. «Malaysia is not owned by any individuals or race. It belongs to all of us, to every Malaysian citizen,» he said. The Lunar New Year, which begins Thursday, is the biggest and most popular annual festival for the Chinese, who account for a quarter of Malaysia's 27 million people. Muslim Malays make up about 60 percent of the population and Indians around 10 percent.
