The Hon. Arkam Ilyas

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for allowing my maiden speech.

¶ 02 I first thank all Sri Lankans who voted for this revolutionary change and victory for the National People’s Power. I especially thank the people of Matara District. Of seven seats, six were given to the JJB—thank you for your trust.

¶ 03 This election was different and brought special results. The North, East and the Hill Country sent a clear message—moving beyond ethnic and communal party lines to join the national mainstream. As a Muslim and also as a representative for Tamils, for the first time in history Matara has sent such representation to Parliament. Sinhala, Muslim, Tamil communities have all changed; we are ready to build our country together as one family.

¶ 04 Previously, “unity” and “national integration” were only in books and debates. With the JJB’s victories in the Presidential and Parliamentary elections, this has become a reality—Sri Lankans are uniting. A key factor for national development is the absence of internal conflict—true for countries, institutions and families. With this election, we have removed that barrier. United, over the next decade or so, no one can stop our progress.

¶ 05 On the economy: our foundation is laid; now we must expand. We have many avenues—most notably tourism—to earn foreign exchange. Our neighbor, the Maldives, relies on the sea alone and thrives. Sri Lanka is surrounded by the ocean, with all climatic zones—wet, dry and intermediate forests—rich biodiversity, gemstones, and a wide range of cultural sites. We are ideally placed to generate foreign exchange, but have not yet fully harnessed it. We must now do so with proper planning.