Showing the way: Sultan Ibrahim (centre, in red) arriving at the state-level Thaipusam celebration at a temple in Skudai on Feb 5, along with other Johor state officials. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

IT makes perfect religious sense. There’s absolutely nothing contentious about the Johor religious affairs committee announcing a fatwa (religious decree) advising Muslims against participating in rituals of other faiths.

Other beliefs would echo that sentiment too. As a Christian, I certainly wouldn’t take part in a Thaipusam ritual or hold joss sticks when I attend a Taoist funeral.

When my Muslim friends pray, I would do the same in my own way. It’s done differently, of course, but the objective is the same in all prayers, which is always to ask for the best.

It is Taoist tradition to attend the Qingming festival, or tomb sweeping day, to honour the departed, especially family members, and I do so but refrain from engaging in the rituals.

We live in a multi-religious and multiracial country, so for most of us it would be disrespectful to stay away. Nothing can stop me from attending these important events, even if they could be religious in nature, and I think most of us are unwavering in our own faiths.

But it was the lack of clarity that led to some minor confusion. Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar had to issue a statement to clarify the matter.

It was a case of Johor exco member Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid not clearly answering questions posed by reporters at a press conference, even though the statement was precise. It became more confusing when State Mufti Yahya Ahmad reportedly said Muslims in Johor were barred from “observing” Thaipusam processions under the fatwa.

Observing and participating are two different things entirely. It was ambiguous because observing could also be interpreted as participating.

If it meant keeping away, then it would certainly be impractical because there would be Muslim policemen and Rela officers involved in crowd control.

For that matter, even Muslim reporters and photographers would be assigned to cover the event. Also, there would be Muslim onlookers when the processions pass through the streets, for example.

But Yahya could have been misquoted in the article, or perhaps something was lost in translation, or this was simply down to poor writing by the news portal.

His Majesty must be commended for not shying away from attending a luncheon hosted by the Indian community in conjunction with the Thaipusam celebrations at a temple in Skudai, Johor Baru.

He was joined by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi; state Tourism, Environment, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Raven Kumar; and state Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon.

Sultan Ibrahim later reaffirmed the “Bangsa Johor” concept, saying the racial and religious diversity of Johor will always be recognised and respected.

His Majesty rightly said the fatwa issued by the Johor Islamic Reli-gious Council was in no way in conflict with interfaith values of tolerance, unity and understanding as espoused under the “Bangsa Johor” concept.

“The fatwa only prohibits Muslims from taking part in other religious rituals. It is a guideline for them. They can still attend festive events of other faiths.

“Other religions must also respect Muslims’ sensitivities. It is a two-way street. We must be sensitive to each other’s religious obligations to get along,” His Majesty said.

It’s important for our leaders to attend events involving other faiths, even if it’s something symbolic like a simple lunch or tea during Christmas, or just to break fast with Muslims during Ramadan.

If Malaysians have no problem embracing public holidays to celebrate the festivals of other faiths, then we should be rejoicing the occasions together as Malaysians.

If these national leaders are unable to attend, then they should at least have the decency to send a senior representative.

But there shouldn’t be lame excuses. These politicians seem to be quite happy to show up at places of worship to canvas for votes during elections but suddenly can’t make an appearance when the polls are over.

They can give an excuse once, but let’s see if similar justifications are concocted in the following years.

The Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) must be commended for lauding the guidelines provided by the Johor authorities.

CCM general secretary Rev Jonathan Jesudas said non-Muslims should appreciate the limits that Muslims are subject to under syariah laws when inviting Muslim colleagues or friends to their festivities or celebrations.

“The clarity provided by the Johor Islamic religious affairs committee is welcome and will definitely promote greater harmony and interaction among the various religious communities in Malaysia,” he said.

Rev Jonathan also noted how Malaysians from various religious communities would join each other in celebrating religious festivals.

“Open houses are definitely a signature practice of Malaysians where all will visit one another, enjoy delicacies and the hospitality of their neighbours and friends who are celebrating.

“This is so much a part of life that in our joy, we hardly stop and recognise that this is religious harmony and tolerance.

“It is also the cement which holds the Malaysian community together, distinguishing us from the other nations in the world,” he said.

The most important reminder came from the Sultan of Johor, when he said that it’s better to emphasise the commonalities and values of all religions than dwell on their differences.

Again, it looks like we must depend on our Rulers to drive common sense home into our politicians’ heads.

Daulat Tuanku!

Maszlee playing the cameo role of jailed PM in ‘Kudeta’. – Photo courtesy of Maszlee Malik Twitter

HAVE we become overly sensitive or perhaps, hypocritically reverent when it comes to local movie content?

There are barely any complaints on social media when it comes to Netflix, Amazon Prime and other similar services.

Is it that our hands are tied given that this is foreign content, or maybe, the usual holier-than-thou critics aren’t paying attention?

Even watching Disney content can be unnerving as subtle shades of LBGT are present. But when it comes to local productions, critics raise a racket, but the point is, they can choose to avoid these movies.

Last week, former education minister Dr Maszlee Malik found himself in an unusual spot.

He had to apologise for using profanity in his cameo role in Kudeta, a local political thriller series on Astro.

Well, as American showman and circus owner Phineas T. Barnum said: all publicity is good publicity.

I’m sure many Malaysians were clueless about the Astro series until recently, but I hope more of us will check out this cutting-edge show, which I had raved about in my article on Dec 22, 2022. (“All-too real TV shows”; online at bit.ly/star_series)

Hot show: ‘Kudeta’, a local political thriller series on Astro, is making waves. – Astro

Maszlee convincingly played the evil, corrupt jailed prime minister Jamal Banna, who is still scheming and making threats against his opponents from his cell, including his successor – the first female PM of Masraya, a fictional country.

Anyone watching Jamal would be forgiven for recalling a former PM of Malaysia. It may be Masraya, but the characters speak Malay and English.

Jamal is understandably in a foul mood and his role obviously involves foul language. Maszlee is an actor here, not an educationist.

Surely we can tell the difference between his acting and political roles.

Do we expect the nasty character he played to be pious, religious, and uttering pleasantries? Honestly, Maszlee would have been sacked in a real-world situation, but he did an excellent job as an actor.

I see no reason why the poor former Member of Parliament for Simpang Renggam had to apologise, admitting the dialogue used was inappropriate and had degraded women.

It looks like Maszlee couldn’t take the heat from social media, which can be nasty and include profanities. How ironic?

“I acknowledge my mistakes for playing the role of an evil prime minister, who uses inappropriate words that have disturbed viewers’ emotional and mental wellbeing,” he said in a Facebook statement.

Well, it looks like Maszlee would now need to look for the role of a clean, honest, pious, hard-working, and dedicated PM. Good luck on finding that unicorn.

Prior to this controversy, there was another uproar over a 35-second movie trailer for Pulau, a Malaysian production.

In that brief time, some Malaysians could raise conjectures on morality, well before even watching the movie in its entirety. Their responses were lengthier than the promo clip!

The producer, Fred Chong, as expected, apologised if any party had been offended by the trailer.

Its promotional materials, such as posters and trailers, had been approved by the National Film Censorship Board (LPF) as well as through the Wajib Tayang list by the National Film Development Board (Finas).

It seems perfectly acceptable if women are in bikinis in a foreign movie, but not in a local production, even if the actors involved are non-Muslims.

But following the hullabaloo, the Pulau trailer raked in a million views on YouTube in nine days – and probably more by now. Talk about Malaysia Boleh!

Well, since I haven’t watched the movie, I wouldn’t dare comment, but the trailer neither offended nor excited me.

The jailed PM role in Kudeta caught my attention, but it was that of Hamid, the hypocritical leader of a religious-based party, that interested me the most.

He was prepared to strike deals for political expediency, proposed a law to make it compulsory for women who wished to work to seek written permission from their husbands, and was even blackmailed in a setup, where he was photographed in a compromising position with a Caucasian-looking woman.

It will be tough for Maszlee to look for another movie role now as dashing Khairy Jamaluddin, who had taken several cameo roles, is also looking for other options and possibilities.

Perhaps KJ could play a politician who has been unfairly sacked from his party and is now hell-bent on seeking revenge in a political thriller, even if he is unbowed, unbent, unbroken.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, when contacted by the media, said that the matter should be handled by the district education office. – Bernama

THE controversy surrounding allegations that only Muslim students from an all-girls school were invited to an SPM workshop has naturally raised conjecture.

Let’s assume that it was a simple communication blunder and that there was no ill intent or malpractice. If indeed the workshop was meant for all students, regardless of race or religion, then the school could have announced the names of the participants for the two separate sessions right off the bat.

It would have evaded a torrent of accusations and misunderstandings. It would surely be helpful if an advisory was handed to students and parents, too, about another workshop dated Jan 26 and 27 scheduled for after the Chinese New Year celebrations.

If these details were announced, then it would enable the next batch of students to prepare.

It would also immediately dismiss allegations made by disgruntled parents. They would have no reason to make an issue of this.

But now, the second workshop, which should include non-Muslims, would seem like an afterthought or worse, a damage control exercise even if it wasn’t the case.

Last week, the Education Ministry issued a statement that there was no discrimination involved in the SPM workshop organised by SMK Infant Jesus Convent.

“Initial investigations found that the workshop was part of the many initiatives of the relevant parties to ensure that students, regardless of race, were able to make the necessary preparations for the SPM exams.

“The first of the workshops was held earlier on Jan 19 and 20 in a hotel and involved some 30 SPM candidates who had failed their Bahasa Melayu and History subjects as well as those who received ‘gagal-lulus’ (fail-pass) in some other subjects.

“The workshop was held separately based on sessions to avoid disturbing candidates who were preparing for CNY.

“The ministry was informed that the follow-up session for other students was slated to be held between Jan 26 and 27 at the same hotel,” the ministry said.

The Education Ministry is right to state that the school needs to improve communications to prevent such incidents from happening again.

But it shouldn’t just be the school that takes the rap for poor communications. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, the State Exco member for education, information and communications, Norliza Nor and the state education department could have easily done a better job. What’s glaring is they need better crisis management skills and response time.

None of them responded to the issue effectively until His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar made a statement soon after the controversy went viral.

By then, the tweet had made its rounds on social media, garnering more than 800 retweets and over 1,000 likes in less than 24 hours.

While our politicians kept mum and allowed the rumours to flourish, His Majesty the Sultan of Johor swiftly intervened and said no one should be left out of any public programme because of their race or religion.

“If it is true that there was racial segregation, then action must be taken against the organisers,” Tuanku said, adding that “the same can also be said if it is found that these allegations are proven false and spread by irresponsible parties.”

“This is also a lesson to all parties who must deal swiftly and firmly to quell public dissatisfaction,” said His Majesty via the Royal Press Office.

Fadhlina, when contacted by the media, said that the matter should be handled by the district education office.

It was a disappointing statement because it gave the impression that she was passing the buck to the state officials.

In the age of social media, where issues travel fast, we expect our officials to provide quick and convincing responses, and not merely sit on the issues believing they will resolve themselves.

Unfortunately, these issues won’t, and as the Sultan said, they must be dealt with to pacify society’s ire.

The four-paragraph statement posted by Norliza provided no worthy information except to display pictures of herself and officials huddled in a meeting.

If there’s a lesson to be learnt from this episode, it’s the need to be transparent, accountable and to be forthright in providing information, and the importance of engaging with stakeholders, which, in this case, include the students, parents, and the media, too.

In fact, some novice ministers regrettably still remain incommunicado to the media.In 2023, there’s just no excuse for inept communication given the available platforms.

Losing our parents is easily one of life’s most traumatic experiences, so treasure their time with us.

I’VE always left early for my hometown Penang to avoid the festive season snarl, and this Chinese New Year is no exception.

The state, particularly the island side, literally comes to a standstill because the streets are choked with traffic.

It’s not just the returning Penangites living in other states, especially in the Klang Valley, but a flood of tourists, too.

So, last week, taking advantage of a work engagement in Penang, I visited my 92-year-old mother, who lives in our family home in Ayer Itam.

I’m blessed to have my beloved nieces care for her, and we have a good Indonesian maid to cook and clean the house. I’m thankful that my brother has chosen to live next door as well.

Every journey home is an emotional one for me because my mother is visibly ageing. She has become more forgetful, as expected of someone her age, of course.

We just need to summon that much more patience because she would ask the same questions again and again.

Her hearing is another issue, but I’m grateful that she’s healthy for an elder.

A recent fall has forced her to move around the house with a walker.

She complains that the maid “is always with me” and “I don’t have any privacy”. Having her privacy invaded like that is certainly something most of us can understand because the maid is “in her face”. However, she simply must be watched over round the clock at this point to be sure she doesn’t fall once more.

I sincerely hope I won’t be as grumpy as my mother when I reach her age – if I’m even privileged to live that long in the first place.

My wife and I had to coax the maid to be patient and not get upset by her grumblings.

My mother has stopped cooking the past few years and this time, she was in no mood for an early CNY reunion dinner at a restaurant, saying she preferred not to leave home.

My two sisters-in-law are also unwell, which has rendered them unavailable for a meal outside, even though this is the all-important reunion dinner.

Naturally, my dad’s passing in 2020 when he was 95, affected my mother.

Like many women of her generation, she has few, if no friends, and the home has always been her only refuge. Mum has been a housewife all her life.

She’s lonely and the maid says she often gazes out the window, lost in thought of her beloved who’s in a much better place now.

I’ve tried persuading her to live with me in Kuala Lumpur, even if it’s for a short while.

My powers of persuasion haven’t worked, and I’ve also been frequently dealt the last-minute excuses in the instances she had agreed to come.

Previously, it was “you don’t have a room on the ground floor” or “I need a maid” and “I can’t hold my bladder for the long drive to KL.”

Those of us with old folks would understand that it’s the familiarity of the family home that provides them the many memories and comforts. Leaving Penang must be unimaginable to her.

My mother is Peranakan and I miss her cooking the most. She used to take great pride in passionately serving things like curry, jiu hu char (fried jicama with shredded cuttlefish), pork belly soup, perut ikan (pickled fish stomach curry) and other wonderful dishes for CNY. And she made a mean sambal belacan, too.

My dad, although full-blooded Cantonese, lived the life of a Baba because he was born and grew up in Kuah, Langkawi.

We never used chopsticks or common cutlery at home, so we mostly ate with our hands.

Our loved ones, especially our parents, will leave one day, but my greatest fear is that without their presence as our patriarch and matriarch, there will be no one to hold the extended family together. The reunion dinners will then just be with my own family unit.

The CNY get-together is more than just a celebration of spring, but the tradition of giving ang pow to our parents and grandparents and is a gift to display respect and a grateful heart.

As Asians, we are uncomfortable with obvious displays of affection, unlike Westerners, but we have our ways of showing our love and appreciation to our parents who raised us, while they’re still around.

As the saying goes, home is where the heart is.

Wishing everyone celebrating CNY a Happy New Year.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!