1. While 2007 was most significant as the 50th anniversary of our country’s Independence, 2008 will be equally significant as the first in the next 50 years of our long journey in nation-building. 

2. Therefore, Malaysians should welcome 2008 with a renewed spirit of patriotism and goodwill, with a recharged sense of optimism and determination to drive ourselves and our nation towards excellence, glory and distinctions. 

3. Let us get inspired by our progress and many successes of the past.  But let us also be humble enough to learn from our problems and some short-comings.  We can then do more and do better for our future generations. 

4. No doubt, we can take pride in our ability to sustain peace and harmony in our multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, in the past 50 years, in forces that sometimes threatened to tear us asunder.   

5. Therefore, we must continue to promote the spirit of unity through moderation and consultation, not to allow anyone to provoke the feelings of animosity through extremism and confrontation. 

6. While we cherish and defend the right of freedom of belief, speech and action, we should always be mindful of our responsibility for mutual respect and restraint, in whatever we say and do.   

7. We should continue to promote love, caring and sharing, and the positive forces of nationalism and construction to counter hatred, greed and selfishness, and the negative forces of racism and destruction. 

8. Let all Malaysians pledge and continue to work together to show the world that Malaysia can -- “Malaysia Boleh” – achieve greatness by drawing on the moral strength and values from The Great Religions we profess and The Great Civilisations we inherit. 

9. My Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Harmonious New Year.