10,000 SABAH CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR M'SIA

KOTA KINABALU : Some 10,000 Christians of various denominations gathered at the Likas Stadium Sunday night to participate in a moment of prayer to seek God's blessings for continued harmony and progress in Malaysia.

Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir, who officiated at the event, said Christians must bear in mind that God has blessed this country and to pray that this will continue.

"Not only in the peace and harmony of its people, but we have also been blessed with so much cultural diversity," said Abidin, at the "A Day to Bless Malaysia" event which started at sunset and ended at 9pm.

It coincided with the Jubilee year as Sabah enters the 50th year of independence through the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

"We are like one big family we are all under the same roof. We must therefore safeguard the peace and harmony of this country, especially of our city," said Abidin.

This, he said, is the 1Malaysia concept in which all the people are united so that the federation can stand strong and compete with other developed nations.

"With God's blessing, Malaysia will emerge as a strong and respected nation in the world.

For we were blessed not only in its harmony, but we are thankful to God that we have been spared from natural disasters like earthquakes.

"We believe, it is so because of God's intervention on all things. Therefore, as He has commanded that we proclaim the 50th year as a year of jubilee, we believe that what we are doing today pleases Him for the sake of the nation," Abidin said.

"A Day to Bless Malaysia" was jointly organised by the Kota Kinabalu Town Council and Commission of Sabah Affairs of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship.

The event began with cultural performances by various Sabah indigenous groups including Kadazans, Rungus, Muruts, Dusuns and Lun Bawang and leading to the blowing of the shofars or ram horns.

The night ended with a spectacular display of fireworks.