PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia) - NATIONAL unity will be Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's greatest challenge when leading the country next, says Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

He said his successor would have to give priority to this issue as the state of inter-racial and inter-religious relations at the moment was not good.

'I think we have done well to thrive for this long but we need to get back to basics and understand that Malaysia is stronger for the mix of different races and communities that we have,' he said in an interview with Bernama.

Saying that Malaysia's racial and religious mix was a blessing and not a curse, he said Malaysians must not allow these 'assets' to be turned into 'negatives'.

'We need to tackle these issues head-on, with honesty and understanding. After more than 50 years of independence, these issues still remain with us.' -- BERNAMA