The Hon. Muneer Mulaffer - Deputy Minister of National Integration

¶ 01 Mr. Presiding Member, I first extend my congratulations to Members returning to the 10th Parliament and to all newly elected Members. This is a historic victory that has transformed Sri Lankan politics. It is an honour to begin my maiden speech by drawing on the Presidential Address delivered by His Excellency Anura Kumara Dissanayake. I also thank the people across the country—from North to South and East to West—for this remarkable mandate.

¶ 02 In particular, I thank the people of the Gampaha District, who delivered the highest vote in our electoral history and enabled 16 MPs, including myself, to represent them here. There is a special significance in my victory: since Independence, no Muslim male MP had previously been elected from Gampaha District. Yet the people of Gampaha—Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim; Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, and Catholic—set aside divisions and rallied together.

¶ 03 The message is clear: rather than remaining divided and isolated, we can solve our challenges by uniting as brothers and sisters to rebuild this country. That same message came from the North, East, South, and the hill country.

¶ 04 As a Sri Lankan, I felt great pride listening to the President’s policy statement. Though we may be distant regionally, different culturally, speak different languages, and follow different religions, we have gathered around a common purpose. From North to South, East to the hills and the West, the common aspiration is for a prosperous country within a beautiful Sri Lanka, and a good life for our people. That is why, every five years, people send us here—to deliver that light into their lives.

¶ 05 For a long time, national reconciliation has been the people’s yearning. In the past, for the sake of power—gaining it, wielding it arbitrarily—some shattered national unity, kindled ethnic division, and sowed distrust. Today, much is said about media repression and social media narratives. But as the President has always maintained, chauvinism must be defeated. If we allow the agitation that stokes division to run freely, can we truly build national unity?

¶ 06 We may hold different political opinions, but there is one non‑negotiable: there will be no space for ethnic chauvinism or extremist religious agitation. Our people have suffered enough from such conflicts. It is estimated Sri Lanka lost around USD 90 billion due to war and related turmoil. Our eyes have shed rivers of tears; suspicion and anger persist among communities. We all share the responsibility—Government and Opposition alike—not to bequeath such a country to our children.

¶ 07 Politics can be contested on many grounds—economic, democratic, or otherwise. But never again should we allow ethnic or religious agendas to be used to seize political power. That is central to the National People’s Power policy and was a key message of the Presidential Address. I believe we can realize it, together, across party lines. Those who sowed chauvinism have been defeated and sent home by the people. The country has clearly rejected chauvinism. Let us, therefore, unite to defeat once and for all the chauvinism that ruined Sri Lanka.

¶ 08 Thank you.