ELCM

SPEECH BY
YAB DATO’ SERI ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI
PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA
HIGH-TEA CHRISTMAS RECEPTION
ORGANIZED BY
THE CHRISTIAN FEDERATION IN MALAYSIA
AT
THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN MALAYSIA
25 DEC 2003, 4.00-6.00PM

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HONOURABLE RT. REVEREND JULIUS PAUL, BISHOP OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN MALAYSIA, AND WIFE,

HONOURABLE REV. DATUK DR. PRINCE GUNERATNAM, CHAIRMAN OF THE CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA, AND WIFE,

HONOURABLE BISHOPS, PRESIDENTS AND ELDERS OF VARIOUS CHURCHES, YANG BERHORMAT MINISTERS, TAN SRI-TAN SRI, PUAN SRI-PUAN SRI, AND DATUK-DATUK,

I AM HONOURED TO BE YOUR GUEST ON THIS SPECIAL DAY. I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WISH YOU ALL MALAYSIAN CHRISTIANS OF ALL DENOMINATIONS A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS. I AM HERE NOT JUST TO GREET YOU AS YOUR PRIME MINISTER BUT ALSO AS A FELLOW MALAYSIAN OF MUSLIM FAITH. THE GREAT FIGURE WHOSE BIRTH YOU CELEBRATE TODAY IS ALSO A FIGURE WE MUSLIMS HONOUR VERY HIGHLY.
MY GOVERNMENT HAS EMPHASIZED, AND WILL CONTINUE TO REMIND PEOPLE, THAT MALAYSIA IS UNIQUE IN THE PEACEFUL CO-HABITATION OF OUR ETHNICITIES AND RELIGIONS. WE ARE NOT MERELY A MULTI-RACIAL COUNTRY, WE ARE MULTI-COMMUNAL. OUR CITIZENS DO NOT JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE PERSONAL RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS. THEY CONSTITUTE LIVING, ACTING MUSLIM, CHRISTIAN, BUDDHIST, TAOIST, HINDU OR SIKH COMMUNITIES. THIS PLURALISM OF VIBRANT RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES WOULD PRESENT A FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE TO NATIONAL UNITY FOR ANY COUNTRY, BUT IN MALAYSIA, WE HAVE MET THAT CHALLENGE. WHILE CONTINUING TO MEET IT WE FIND IT INCREASINGLY A SOURCE OF STRENGTH FOR THE NATION: SOMETHING THAT MAKES US UNIQUE, SPECIAL AND VALUABLE IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF NATIONS.
IN THE YEARS SINCE INDEPENDENCE WE HAVE TRANSFORMED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LIABILITY INTO AN ASSET, A SOURCE OF INSTABILITY INTO A SOURCE OF STABILITY; WHAT LOOKED LIKE A CURSE INTO A BLESSING, WEAKNESS INTO STRENGTH. WE NO LONGER THINK OF OUR PLURALISM AS AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT OF OUR HISTORY BUT AS SOMETHING WHICH MAKES US STAND OUT, MAKES US A MODEL NATION, AND UNEXPECTEDLY NOW GIVES US UNIQUE COMETITIVE AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY ARE POWERFUL ECOOMIC AND POLITICAL RESOURCES, WE LOOK AROUND AND REALIZE THAT NOBDY ELSE HAS JUST OUR COMBINATION OF CULTURAL RESOURCES.
WHILE INTER-ETHNIC AND INTER-RELIGIOUS STRIFE CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD, THE TREND IN MALAYSIA IS I THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. MALAYSIA IS CITED ABROAD AS AN EXAMPLE OF HARMONIOUS RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS COEXISTENCE. SUDDENLY, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE LIGHT OF THE SO-CALLED ‘WAR ON TERROR’, A CONFLICT WHICH THREATENS TO PIT AN IMAGINED WEST AGAINST AN IMAGINED ISLAM, MALYSIA HAS BECOME FOR ALL THE WORLD THE BEST AND CLEAREST EXAMPLE OF A MUSLIM MAJORITY NATION IN WHICH RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS HARMONY PREVAIL AND RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IS PRACTICED AS SECOND-NATURE BY ITS CITIZENS. THIS IS NOT A BATHING TO BE BEST I THE WORKD AT!
WE ARE BECOMING BETTER AT LIVING TOGETHER. WE VISIT ONE ANOTHER ON HOLY DAYS, WE RESPECT EACH OTHER’S RELIGIOUS CONSTRAINTS, WE LEARN ABOUT ONE ANOTHER’S RELIGIONS AND CULTURES.
WHILE WE MUST NEVER LET OUR GUARD DOWN AGAINST EXTREMISM OR INTOLERANCE FROM WHATEVER QUARTER, WE HAVE BECOME MORE AND MORE CONFIDENT IN OUR ESSENTIAL PLURALITY. OUR VARIOUS COMMUNITIES MUSLIM AND NON-MUSLIM HAVE LEARNED TO WORK OUT THEIR HIGHEST RELIGIOUS ASPIRATIONS WITHN THE REAL MULTI-RACIAL COUNTRY THAT THEY LIVE IN RATHER THAN IN A DANGEROUS FANTASY LAND OF A PURE RACE OR A PURE RELIGION. IN ISLAM, AS I THINK IT MUST BE IN CHRISTIANITY, THIS RECOGNITION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE OTHER, OF THE RIGHTS OF THE MINORITY, EVEN IF THEIR PRACTICES ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM OURS, IS PART OF THE TRUE PRACTICE OF RELIGION, NOT A COMPROMISE. OUR MULTI-ETHNIC, MULTI-COMMUNAL MULTI-RELIGIOUS SOCIETY IS THE GIFT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO WORK WITH, NOT SOME KIND OF PROBLEM TO BE ERADICATED, AND IN ACCEPTING THIS GIFT WE SHALL BECOME BETTER MUSLIMS, BETTER CHRISTIANS, HINDUS, TAOISTS, BUDDHISTS HINDUS, SIKHS AND SO ON.
MY FELLOW MALYSIANS, I BELIEVE WE BECOME BETTER, NOT WORSE, RICHER, NOT POORER, AS INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITIES AND AS A NATION, BY RESPECTING THE DIGNITY AND RIGHTS OF THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM OURSELVES.

THEREFORE, REJOICE ON YOUR HOY DAYS.

LIKE ALL MALAYSIANS, OF WHATEVER CREED OR COLOUR, CELEBRATE YOUR FAITH IN PEACE AND HARMONY.

Rt. Rev. Bishop Julius D. Paul’s speech at the Christmas Open House hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malaysia.

We are deeply grateful to you, Datuk Seri, and to your wife, Datuk Seri, for gracing this occasion. Your presence on this Christmas day means a lot to us and has warmed the hearts and minds of all Christians in this country.

Since 1st November, 2003, we have followed the impact you have been making in this country under your leadership. Your gentle yet firm approach will go a long way in winning the hearts and minds of the people.

Your opening call to the people of Malaysia to work with you, and not for you, speaks volumes of the participatory leadership you represent. An African proverb says, “If you want to walk fast, you walk alone, but if you want to walk far, we will walk together.”

Datuk Seri, we know that you care for the rakyat where it affects us the most. Your visit to the immigration department, your immediate action to solve delayed land matters, the desire to reduce the number of road accidents and, above all, you fight against corruption-tooth and nail-speaks loudly of your desire to consolidate the gains we have made as a nation over the years.

We want to assure you that we will stand by you, and continue to keep you and your family in our prayers. More than that, as people of the faith it is appropriate to say that you are God’s gift to Malaysia at this point in history.

With these words, we once again thank you for your presence and may God bless you.