Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has a piece of advice for Malaysians - not to take their parents and spouses for granted.

At a Budget 2018 session today, Najib also admitted how “cliched” it sounds whenever it is mentioned how Malaysia is a peaceful country.

Najib believes this should not be taken for granted.

“This is because you only value something when you don’t have it anymore. You only treasure something when you’ve lost it.

“Sometimes, you take your parents for granted, you might even take your wife for granted [laughs] I’m not supposed to say this,” quipped Najib to laughter from the audience during the live session held at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Bangi.

Najib added that a person would one day realise that the things he or she had taken for granted truly mattered and that they made a huge difference in their lives.

“I was having breakfast this morning and watching television. Children in Syria have lost their parents, huddled in an underground tunnel, their city about to be razed to the ground, imagine that.

“Alhamdulillah, we have a lot to be grateful for in Malaysia,” he said.

'Appreciate Malaysia'

Citing Malaysia's unity and diversity which he said were part of Malaysia's beauty, Malaysians, he said, must appreciate the Malaysian way of life.

"And I can assure you as I've been to many countries around the world that there's nothing like Malaysia.

"Some of you might disagree, but I'm a strong believer that there are many things we should appreciate in Malaysia," he added.