In the spirit of 1Malaysia, yet Christians were ridiculed and riled

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Does Prime minister Najib Abdul Razak expect people to 'respect' his ‘1Malaysia’ slogan if Malaysian Christians are ridiculed when they are prevented from observing their full Christian beliefs?

Officials at Archbiship Murphy Pakiam’s premises were told to remove crucifixes, to avoid hymns being sung and prayers or Scriptures to be quoted, when Najib attended the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur’s Christmas tea party on Christmas day.

The PM’s aides had issued a list of instructions to the Archbishop’s office to facilitate Najib’s attendance. Then before the PM arrived, they made a circuit of the party grounds at Bukit Nanas.

This level of mistrust is astounding. It is totally unacceptable and very unreasonable to hold a people’s faith to ransom.

We are informed that Najib was unaware of the overzealous acts of his aides. Can anyone believe this to be true knowing the track-record of this administration and their ways to bend the truth to suit their purposes?

It is unacceptable for Najib’s aides to ridicule and reject the Christian community by making the Archbishop accede to their ridiculous demands. Why should these aides impose their will on others?

The Archbishop’s people should not have removed the crucifix and should have continued to sing hymns or whatever else they wanted to do. They should have stood their ground and not cave in to bullies.

The Catholic church and its community should not need to pander to the wishes of these aides. Why should they agree to this form of subjugation? Why should the Archbishop and his flock be treated shabbily?

Where is the 1Malaysia inclusiveness if we had to remove things that were symbolic of the various faiths in a multicultural Malaysia, just to please these aides or the Malaysian National Fatwa Council?

How can people of other faiths have respect for Najib if his aides act like they had a different agenda to his?

The official religion of Malaysian may be Islam but nowhere does it say that other people cannot practise their own beliefs.

How would the government like it if non-Muslims objected strongly, by walking out or showing other forms of disrespect, when they are asked to participate in Islamic prayer, as normally happens in official functions these days?

In the National Service camps, all trainees are instructed to lift up their hands as if in (Islamic) prayer, during the opening and closing ceremony. What if these students staged a mass walk-out?

Najib must realise that his government is acting like a class-bully and bends others to their will.

Nevertheless, with or without Najib’s knowledge, these aides are dismantling any 1Malaysia cohesiveness obtained through other means.

Najib observed that ‘religion teaches us to be tolerant, caring and respectful of the beliefs and practices of others’ and reminded Malaysians not to forget the message of Christmas which was peace, hope, charity, love and goodwill towards all men.

He said, “We are bound by our common destiny. We are bound by our common heritage. We are bound by our need to forge ahead as one nation to face the challenges that lie ahead.”

He reminded Malaysians that the message of peace and goodwill was for everyone: “This message is not only for Christians. This message is for all people.”

So where is the “tolerance, equality and fairness” that is promoted through 1Malaysia? In its place is a mass discrimination against minority groups and people of the non-Islamic faith.

The Christians (and people of other faiths) should be allowed to manifest their Christain faith in their premises, home or workplace.

If, as we are told, that Najib was not aware of the extreme acts of his aides, then it is time he was informed. Why are the voices of the component parties of BN – such as MCA, MIC and Gerakan silent? This intolerable situation needs urgent review and action.

Najib is head of government. He needs to act decisively and immediately, to protect minority interests. This country is shaped by its multiculturalism and started off as a place where people of all faiths could preach according to their beliefs.