Controversy over a circular from the Department of Religious Affairs, which went viral on social media, stating that the decorations are reminiscent of a Christian holiday. The holiday is a religious, not a cultural, event and raises ‘issues related to faith’. But experts and officials say such a measure violates the spirit of tolerance and openness in the country.
A Facebook post by a mufti has shed light on the group's relationships with influential figures in Malaysian society and politics. The Home minister believes it poses no threat, although the police are monitoring the situation. At stake is the delicate issue of balancing vigilance and guarantees for religious freedom in Malaysia.
In Penang, 800 delegates from churches across the continent gathered for a ‘pilgrimage of hope’ in the Jubilee year. Cardinal Tagle: like the Magi, we reject the despair of today's Herods. Archbishop Simon Poh of Kuching: ‘We are a minority. But the Lord asks us too not to shut ourselves in our churches and go out to serve our brothers and sisters.’
Over 800 delegates from more than 30 countries are attending the Congress that brings together the Churches of the entire continent, almost twenty years after the first meeting in Chang Mai. The vast majority of participants are lay people who will share their experiences until 30 November. Cardinal Francis: ‘Together for a deeper communion with God, creation and humanity’.
UN experts are urging Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur to dismantle fraudulent recruitment networks and protect migrants from abuse. Growing indebtedness is a major factor. Migrants from Bangladesh are the largest group of foreign workers, with more than 800,000 active work permit holders as of June this year, or 37 per cent of the total foreign workforce.
In southern Malaysia, expansion of water-based cooling systems for data centres has been halted for 18 months. Among the causes are drought and the distribution of water resources, which are lacking in the south, where investments are concentrated. With 48 data centres, Johor would become a regional hub by 2030.
