Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak expressed his joy with the large multi-racial turnout at the Aidilfitri open house hosted by him and the cabinet ministers at Seri Perdana today.

"I'm very grateful that the celebration is such a success and happy to see guests from all walks of life. The concept of the open house has proven to be a bridge in strengthening national unity," he said in an interview telecast live over TV3 .

najib hari raya open house pc 080813 08 "Apart from open house, we should also have an open heart and reject narrow-mindedness and fanatic and extremist thinking. Let us appreciate the peace and harmony which allows us to celebrate openly and strive to safeguard this scenario for always," he said.

He was also queried on the recent spate of fatal shootings in the country, which has raised serious concerns on safety.

"The police have been instructed to do whatever it takes to eradicate this serious crime," he responded.

    

Stressing that control at the country's entry points should be tightened, he said the government was reviewing the current laws in order to give the police more powers and at the same time ensure there was no abuse.

"There must be a balance. So we're discussing with the attorney-general and police to come up with stronger legislation in order to take stern action," he said while giving the assurance that the government was viewing the matter seriously.

- Bernama