Pitas, Sabah - Pastor Ontu, Melvin and Ondon
Being substantially a Muslim country and upheaving to the crest of political change, Malaysia is making waves in inter-faith relations.
Last few weeks, a component of the PR, PAS the Islamic Party members quietly but publicly took a bold step with a courtesy call when Sebastian Francis, became Bishop of the Penang Catholic Diocese . True to their call for political reforms and ethnic and religious understanding, PAS is making gestures at this early stage for reapproachment for socio-cultural appreciation.
On the heels of the Penang visit, a more positive event developed in Sabah where household incomes and illegal immigrants voting plague the political debate. A Christian Pastor, Otou @ Francis Singoron is set to move and work for the PAS candidate potential Puan Dausieh Queck for a challenge in the forthcoming GE 13, to be held any time between December and April 2013. He has canvassed around him helpers, Christians and surely others too in the locality of Pitas, Sabah to clinch a seat for PAS.
Sabah being dubbed as the poorest State of Malaysia with average bumiputera household income at RM2,800 (National avg RM4,025) is stirred and in debates for its future in greater justice and fairness and fundamental rights.
And it seems from Penang to Sabah, the debate is no longer skewed to narrow ethnic superiority or heritage. Its about life and living now and, here or thereafter.
As should be expected this is not without some hiccup as an committee outed senior PAS leader, Nasharuddin, chipped in with an outrageous accusation that DAP, PAS' own counterpart in the PR Coalition, had prayed in communion publicly for Malaysia to be a Christian country. The accusation speaks more of the accuser than the accused.
Malaysian Muslims should flatter themselves on this overal latest development. They are said to rise to the clamor that man should face life as if they would live forever and prepare for the thereafter as if death comes on the morrow. Enculturating though rhetorical but more lively and reasonable than the spunk churned out by Utusan and NST, the Spittoon Times.
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