Peace is a state of the mind depicting freedom from disturbance and freedom from contentious issues in individual interactions. Peace can be within yourself and between persons. The word peace will have different meanings and connotations relating to nationality, race, religion, subdivision of all these and politics.

Controversies, ill feelings, hatred and the willingness to stage violence stem from the divisive forces that are generated by a lack of understanding of tolerance which form the very basic foundation of God's will, whatever race or religion He manifests.

Every individual born has no shortcomings. Genetic defects apart, the genes, when born, provide a level playing field. The level playing field is, however, adversely influenced by economic, social and political inadequacies.

When we use the word ethnicity, it covers a lot of sins - race, religion, nationality, culture, tradition, upbringing and literacy. These are then complicated and perversely affected by economic disparity and political subjectivity.

The fact that the human race having traced their DNA to an African mother must be sufficient reason for humanity to come together in this global age. The world is now at a crossroads. The industrial West and the developing South are facing each other. It is not a level playing ground. Race and religion are confrontational. The Christians in the West with fundamentalism are waging a battle with the Islamic fundamentalists, now being labeled as Jihadis, terrorists and so on.

Whilst all faiths have as a common denominator tolerance, peace and human welfare, fundamentalism of all kinds related to the religious divide is threatening world peace. This, if allowed unfettered will end in a holocaust never seen, heard or experienced before.

We in Malaysia are indeed fortunate. Ethnicity and peace are centred around multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-racial cooperation, understanding and friendship. Yes, we have gone through religious, racial and political turmoil. They were merely fleeting moments of Malaysian madness. Today, we live in tranquility. We have understanding and we have peace. These are based on solid foundations inspired, cultivated and nurtured by a string of leaders and prime ministers such as Dato Onn and Tunku Abdul Rahman and now spearheaded by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

We can legitimately anticipate the realisation of an economically prosperous Malaysian Malaysia and this feature pervading the multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious kampung, towns and cities to provide an example in leadership for a world in turmoil.