caption - From left to right: 1.Tiong officially handing over the flag to Kembara Team. 2.Tiong, Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom leading the convoy at Sebauh town. 3.Tiong King Sing (left) and Dr Stephen Rundi Utom performing the ceremonial send-off. At far right is Ubaidillah Abdul Latif. 4.Tiong King Sing (front row, 3rd left) and Dr Stephen Rundi Utom (2nd left) raising the national flag. Philip Ho and Ubaidillah Abdul Latif at are far left and far right respectively. BINTULU: Malaysians must forge ahead to strive to make the country more united than ever. "If the younger generation has the firm belief that unity is the keyword to a properous and united nation, we can rest assure that we are heading in the right direction," said Bintulu MP Dato Seri Tiong King Sing. A nation cannot prosper in the true meaning of development otherwise, as the actual ingredient of a thriving nation is unity, he stressed. "We cannot take unity for granted, but must forge ahead to strive to make our country more united than ever," he said when meeting 700 students at Rumah Sri Kenyalang, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM) Bintulu Campus here last weekend in conjunction with the Kembara Merdeka 2002. Pointing out that it is very important for the rakyat to uphold the sanctity of unity that has prevailed in the country since the Independence, he said unity is the most integral part of this multi-religious and multi-cultural society. "The sanctity of unity is the virtue and asset of the country, as it is the indicator of a peaceful and harmonious nation. Without peace and harmony, we are left with nothing to fall back on and it would invite disorder and social unrest," he said. University students, he said, can play an important role in making sure that unity is safeguarded and prevails at all time. "We have seen what disunity could do to us. As many of you were born after the tumultuous period of the 60s and 70s, you probably are not aware of the racial problems that the country faced," he said. Tiong said life was hard then where our forefathers struggled hard to make Malaysia a better place for the younger generation who are now enjoying the fruits of their labor. Programs like Kembara Merdeka is crucial to create an increase in awareness on the importance of strengthening unity among students of diverse race and religion, he said. "It is the aspiration of the government to safeguard national unity in the country's development programs because without unity, we cannot become a developed nation. Without unity, our country will be in disorder and this will bring various socio-economic and political problems," said Tiong. Therefore, he added, it is most important that all the students will appreciate the efforts of the government in this area so that the rakyat can all live in a pleasant environment.