Why? Is the cross jinxed?

As a writer, religion is a subject I would normally avoid. Why? I have no desire to play God. Period!

And haven’t we heard too that religion is the main cause of wars, violence and destruction? It is the greatest human folly and sadly, a fact few would admit.

No, this is not a piece on religion but one bordering on it, perhaps.

Of late, the “cross” – a sign connected with Christianity as it signifies the holy crucifix – has become a contagious issue again. This time in Penang.

Haven’t we been through this before? The last time, it was in Selangor where a cross outside the shop housing a local church became a ‘problem’ for non-Christians.

I recall that a brother of a former IGP was also involved. His role, as he had explained then, was to defuse the growing tension. Up to this day, I am still unable to comprehend why some people could get all worked up over a cross.

I do not remember how that issue was resolved. Neither do I wish to keep track of a non-issue in the first place. We should move on quickly to tackling more pressing problems at hand.

The recent incident in Penang is one I would describe as an even greater non-issue.

It is a much-ado over nothing when an image of a Jelutong apartment building lit up in a shape resembling a cross irked some “people”, very likely the usual suspects.

And as usual, Umno politicians the likes of Umno Kepala Batas MP Reezal Merican Naina Merican wade in by calling on the Penang government to take action against the developers of the apartment.

Oh yes, Reezal (photo) probably finds it politically advantageous to do so, considering that there isn’t much ammunition he has against the government now. So, anything will do, lah, never mind if it’s over something irrelevant in the first place.

Here, I concur with Bukit Tengah assemblyperson Gooi Hsiao Leung, who said the people are sick of Umno leaders who "exploit and spin a non-issue into a racial or religious agenda in order to stir anti-Malay or anti-Muslim sentiments".

Gooi also said it for many, me certainly, when he claimed that “it is Reezal himself who is causing unease and anxiety in the community by politically exploiting a non-issue and turning it into a racial and religious one".

In this incident, I do not think that Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has handled the situation well. It seems that he became edgy and over-sensitive just because a police report was lodged over the “lighted cross”.

Countless police reports lodged

Countless police reports are being lodged daily and the chief minister should not be worrying about such reports. He should let the police handle them.

Chow should stop pampering to these troublemakers, for doing so will only invite more of them. He should not be entertaining frivolous complaints and bear in mind that “sensitive” is a very subjective word.

Chow was quoted by Bernama as saying, "I believe this is not a place of worship or church, but an apartment building.”

Now, I wonder how Chow would have handled the situation in the Selangor case when the cross was at the premises of a church. Would he have to twist and turn his words then?

I am not a Penangite but if I were one, I would request the DAP to appoint a chief minister of sterner stuff, not a very ordinary leader like Chow. Penang needs a firmer and stronger leader, not a weakling.

Perhaps, it’s unfair of me to judge a leader over one incident but let us remember too that very often, a politician only gets one shot to prove himself. It’s clear Chow (photo) has to buck up. The chief minister of Penang today has to be someone in the mould of Dr Lim Chong Eu, or even better. Any lesser personality will not do for the nation’s most affluent state.

I must also ask who are those who lodged the police report over the lighted cross? What are their motives? If it is their intention to jinx the cross in this nation, then they must not be allowed to succeed. Due respect must be accorded to others who view the cross as a revered, holy sign.

They are probably only a small group with sinister intention and do not represent the thousands of Malays who have been enjoying the famous Teochew chendol on Penang Road with their Chinese and Indian friends over the years.

As a nation known for its multi-racial harmony and tolerance, all of us should be paying attention to the ordinary Malaysians and heed not the bigots and extremists in our midst.

I will never forget my 2017 Christmas when a chance encounter with three Malay students at an eatery in Petaling Jaya clearly underlined what a real Malaysian Malay truly is.

I find the lunchtime I spent with them so heart-warming that I feel compelled to share the article I wrote over a year ago.

When I asked my three new-found friends, Rabiah, Suki and Nora, whether it was wrong to wish me, a Christian “Merry Christmas”, they answered that question perfectly.

“Uncle, if wishing you Happy Christmas makes me lose my faith and become less of a Muslim, then my faith is not very strong.

“On the contrary, Islam teaches us to care, love and respect others. If I follow these teachings, I am a true believer,” Rabiah explained with perfect poise.

Suki and Nora nodded in total agreement.

They then advised me on what the majority of our Muslim brethren in the country have been telling non-Muslims all along: do not listen to the few bigots and extremists; they do not represent all the Muslims in the country. Pay no attention to them.

Such sound advice from these young, ordinary Malays. These are the voices of Malays we should be listening to.

Yes, pay no attention to those who are jinxed by the cross. The majority of our fellow Malaysians who are Malays and Muslims are not!

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FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) and can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com - Mkini