Datu Aloysius J Dris
KUCHING (Sept 1): Yayasan Perpaduan Sarawak (YPS) fully supports Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s stand on factors pivotal to addressing issues being faced by the country, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
YPS chief executive Datu Aloysius J Dris said YPS is very much aligned with the King’s statement yesterday, especially on social cohesion and racial harmony.
Dris said he believes that a huge component towards overcoming various challenges, not only nationally but also in Sarawak, requires unity amongst the people.
“During these unprecedented and unpredictable times, it is pivotal that we set aside our differences and seek ways to explore solutions that will not only benefit our state but also benefit the entire nation,” he said in a statement today.
Dris pointed out YPS has been holding a series of webinars that touch on inter-racial harmony as well as social cohesion among various groups in Sarawak.
The webinar series is part of a greater YPS project called Advancing Racial Cohesion and Harmony (ARCH), which aims to evaluate national unity in Sarawak.
“We have had four webinars so far that addressed the topics of shared history as a nation, socioeconomic divide between various groups, navigating the impacts of MA63, and religious harmony in Sarawak,” he said.
The ARCH webinar series has featured various notable speakers including Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, Prof Ulung Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, Datuk Dr Madeline Berma, Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, and the Rt Revd Datuk Danald Jute.
The final webinar of the series will be held on Sept 9, 2021 and the topic will be on intergenerational understanding — exploring unity between the older and the younger generation in Sarawak.
The webinar will feature speakers from various age groups and will be announced soon.
“We highly encourage the public to sign up and participate as this will be the last webinar for this programme. Previously, the response for all four webinars has been overwhelming and registration has always reached full capacity a day before the webinar. I will highly encourage those who are interested to sign up early,” added Dris.
The webinars are also live-streamed on both the Yayasan Perpaduan Sarawak and Ukas Facebook pages.
Follow the Yayasan Perpaduan Sarawak Facebook page for the latest updates on the webinar and other programmes.