2018 Christmas Message: Let’s build Malaysia into one of the world’s top nations where Malaysians can accept and celebrate the diversities of faiths, and the peace, tolerance and co-existence among the diverse religions in the country. Merry Christmas to all Christians in Malaysia. Let us celebrate this first Christmas after the historic decision on May 9, 2018 to bring about a peaceful and democratic transition of power in the six decades of Malaysian history.
Let us unite to Save Malaysia from a global kleptocracy by becoming a leading nation in integrity. Even better , let us fulfil our destiny to be a world top-class nation in various fields of human endeavour, including becoming among the world’s top nations where there is peace, tolerance, acceptance and co-existence among the diverse religions in the country. The leader of an opposition party has warned Muslims not to post Christmas greetings on Facebook because there should not be any acknowledgement of the Christian religion in the country. He could not be more cock-eyed, extremist and unMalaysian, as Malaysians must celebrate the diversity of races, languages, religions and cultures in Malaysia and leverage on the assets and best qualities of this diversity to be the foundation for Malaysia’s greatness.
We must not deny or detract in any way from the rich diversity of races, languages, religions and cultures in Malaysia. The Sultan of Johore Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s Christmas greeting of a Merry Christmas to all Christians, wishing all Johoreans celebrating Christmas “love, joy and peace and a wonderful time with families and friends” is in the full spirit of a New Malaysia which is inclusive and all-encompassing of the diversity of races, languages, religions and cultures which have become Malaysia’s precious heritage. In his official Facebook posting, Sultan Ibrahim’s festive message was with a framed picture of him and Permaisuri Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah. Sultan Ibrahim and Raja Zarith Sofiah are models for Malaysians on the need for religious and cultural tolerance, understanding and acceptance among Malaysians.
All the great religions in the world share common values of love, truth, justice, compassion and community and we should celebrate the diversity of faiths in Malaysia with their respective Golden Rules, instead of inciting distrust, hate and fear among Malaysians with diverse faiths. It is shocking that the very people who are sowing distrust, hate and fear among Malaysians of diverse faiths are proposing a new political bloc to form an “unity government” as a viable political platform that could offer stability. But these people talk “unity” but perpetrate disunity among Malaysians to serve their petty political ends while claiming to embrace political Islam – yet they have no objection when Malaysia was condemned by the whole world as a “global kleptocracy”!
They are quite good in “building castles in the air”, the latest being that the Pakatan Harapan government would only last five years. I agree with the Bersatu President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that these people will forever be the Opposition. In my 2018 Christmas Message, let me therefore make the call: Let us build Malaysia into one of the world’s top nations where Malaysians can accept and celebrate their diversities of faiths, and the peace, tolerance and co-existence among the diverse religions in the country!
