ISLAMIST party PAS has wished Christians in the country a Merry Christmas.

In a statement today, party secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan extended the festive greeting on behalf of PAS

PAS leaders had previously objected to such festival greetings on the grounds of religion.

“PAS wishes all Christian Malaysians a Merry Christmas and hopes that it would be celebrated smoothly in a safe and harmonious environment, paving the way to better and more meaningful days ahead.

“The harmonious and festive celebrations of various religious or cultural events in this country is a manifestation of our culture of gentleness, tolerance and mutual respect that has long been firmly established in our society.

“Thus, it must be defended from any inclinations that may weaken the practice of such qualities, as well as nurtured with the awareness that the existing diversity is a treasure that adds value to the quality of our togetherness,” said Takiyuddin.

Takiyuddin said PAS embraced diversity as both a cornerstone of Islamic teachings and a defining trait of Malaysian society.

“As an Islamic party, PAS celebrates and is always open to such diversity, not only as a special feature of our society but also as the core of Islamic teachings which embraces such reality in the bonds of our great human family.

“This is inclusive of people of all races, cultures and religions,” he said.

PAS and its ally Bersatu are the main parties in the opposition pact Perikatan Nasional, which is known for playing up issues of race and religion.

In recent weeks, a popular bakery chain made headlines when it said it would refuse orders asking for cakes to be decorated with Christmas greetings. It later said this was because it wished to preserve its halal rating.

Jakim, the national religious authority which issues the halal certification, later clarified that Christmas greetings are allowed on cakes. – December , 2023.