DEAR media and Zahirah, Shallom (“Peace” in Hebrew). The following is the original statement.
“Christmas, Easter, Halloween … semua pelik (all weird)? All involve kids dressing up, asking for candy or chocolate, sitting on old men’s laps, and worshipping some demonic, satanic, supernatural character or even death”
The media chose to highlight Halloween as the main issue while conveniently leaving out the rest of her statement.
This creates an impression that those who are disappointed with her remarks are simply being petty. If you read the comments supportive of hers, most of them only highlighted the word “Halloween” and completely ignored the other statements.
First of all, Halloween is not part of our traditional Christian celebrations here in Malaysia. So please, don’t automatically associate Halloween with Christianity.
We have All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. These are Christian observances with their own religious meanings.
We remember the saints, pray for the departed souls and visit the graves of our loved ones. That’s it. No demonic costumes, no satanic worship, no worshipping supernatural characters.
As for children sitting on old men’s laps, you are watching too much drama this time. I have never once seen that practice being part of our Christmas celebration in Malaysia. That’s a matter of culture and context.
Let me put it this way, Churches in Europe may not celebrate Kaamatan (harvest festival celebrated by indigenous Sabah ethnics) but churches in Sabah do.
Does that make it wrong just because Kaamatan is not mentioned in the Bible? Should we question why our churches celebrate Kaamatan simply because it is not part of European Christian traditions?
Different cultures have different ways of celebrating and expressing their traditions. Context matters.
Nevertheless, what you said has genuinely offended many Christians. Some of us choose to forgive not because what was said was acceptable but because we follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ who taught us to love and forgive.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the man we adore, worship and believe in. Not some demonic or satanic character.
But here’s another important question, What about the hurtful and insulting comments made by those who support your statement? They have directed their remarks towards Christians and our faith.
Shouldn’t you and the media also take some responsibility for the way your statement has encouraged or fuelled those reactions?
You are entitled to your opinion but freedom of expression should also come with responsibility. And respect for other people’s faith should never be optional. Media should report the truth, not some half-baked truth that doesn’t reflect the real issue. – Nov 3, 2026
Billy Joe Dominic is Penampang UPKO Youth chief. He contested the Kapayan state seat in the 2025 Sabah state election.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
