By : DR NICHOLAS JAMES GUNTOBON
THE CHRISTIAN communities in Sabah were shocked to read newspapers reports that a top police officer was said to have said police permit is needed for churches to do their Christmas caroling.
We are aware that there are a growing number of civil servants who are not familiar with religious sensitivities in this country. But to take no less than the IGP for such a blunder is not so good a sign of what we could expect from some of the senior officers in Malaysian civil service which is increasingly dominated by one race/religion.
Christmas caroling is a Christian tradition whereby group of carolers, young and old, go from house to house, Christian houses of course, singing Christmas or yuletide songs to families ahead of the annual celebration of the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ. Only a religious fanatic would insist now that we apply police permit for such gathering. It is just ridiculous and makes no sense at all.
Why Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein quickly said that such police permit is not needed to hold Christmas caroling has only raised further questions of who between them really represent the conscience of the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional government. Are they not supposed to be working together to keep the nation safe and secure.
The blunder has revealed that things are not very stable in the minds of some Malaysian leaders, and this bode not too well in future for a multi-cultural society like ours. One must remember that years ago this same party did not allow Chinese lion dance. Hishammudin better educate his officers or take responsibility and resign from his post.
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