THE holiday season in Malaysia isn’t complete without faux winter decorations, shopping promotions, and in recent years, controversy over Christmas greetings.

For the past few years, politicians who use religion as their raison d’etre, have been silently campaigning to discourage Muslim Malaysians from wishing their Christian counterparts, echoing the sentiment of increasingly conservative preachers especially those from the Western world.

Ironically, this runs opposite to what is happening in countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the bedrock of Islam, which only this year openly allowed the sale of Christmas paraphernalia.

This year’s edition was brought on by a comment in a local daily by a religious department personnel, commenting on halal certification of bakeries, which reportedly could be revoked for obliging customer requests of “Merry Christmas” squiggled as the decorative message.

Thankfully, and as usual, around this time too, the usual customary greetings popped up by our royal leaders, with those exact words used, by no less than our king and queen, and Sultans of Selangor and Johor, among others.

The minister in charge of the religious department too, himself, clarified that what was meant was such cakes being displayed as samples. Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri further said that celebrating it per se in the spirit of muhibbah is more than okay, echoing an edict he issued as Federal Territories mufti two years ago, stating the same.

It isn’t clear why Christmas is singled out, compared to other celebrations. Deepavali, for example, has much religious significance, and “Happy Deepavali” is virtually the same greeting as “Merry Christmas”, both wishing a happy festival to the person celebrating.

One is singled out perhaps because of the proximity of the two religions, or the hotbed of these ideas coming from western preachers where Christmas is widely celebrated.

Personal faith, however much we may disagree with it, is personal to the believer of that faith, and that includes something as uncomfortable as having someone not wish another on their religious holiday.

But public policy on that, reflected by the actions of public officials, is another thing altogether.

Especially when we espouse, encourage and even tout harmony as a barometer of social success, as an economic strategic advantage and even as a tourist attraction!

There is a disconnect with what is being said and what is being done if on one hand we claim to practise this, while on the other, leaders fail to be agents of unity where the occasion calls for it.

For example, a Christmas greeting on a ministry Facebook that had a poster each of the minister, his deputy, and the director-general.

After a few jibes, mainly from another older post from that minister’s party denouncing the practise as wrong, the minister’s poster went missing from the page, leaving only the other two and a general greeting from the staff.

If this was done on purpose, it is not right as the government’s position should be what is reflected on its ministries’ pages, especially when their charges come from all faiths, and from Bornean Malaysia, which is majority Christian.

Religion is a sensitive topic in a multicultural country like ours, and it applies to both the majority and minority races. This involves changes to what is acceptable as the status quo.

At the same time, as long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others within both the private and shared domains, and promote harmony and wellbeing of Malaysians of all religions, they should be allowed, and even encouraged.

There are bigger issues of common interest – corruption, scandals such as that involving imported meat, poverty and economic issues especially in the wake of the pandemic that deserve our shared attention, more than trivial issues that affect few Malaysians who choose to be affected by it.

Wishing all TMI readers a Happy New Year and great 2021 ahead! – December 30, 2020.

* Emmanuel Joseph firmly believes that Klang is the best place on Earth, and that motivated people can do far more good than any leader with motive.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.