Christmas Tea Party: Fitnah on PM Najib, Pakatan accusers must apologise instead

Lets see the MI headline on PM Najib visit to a Christmas Tea party:

PM owes Christians an apology for aides’ Christmas blunder, says PR
By Debra Chong December 30, 2010


KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) politicians today called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to take responsibility and publicly apologise for his aides’ gaffe at the Catholic archbishop’s Christmas tea party here last Saturday.


The Malaysian Insider had yesterday reported that Najib’s men had instructed church officials to remove crucifixes and other overt Christian symbols from being displayed at the party grounds in Bukit Nanas before the PM’s visit in their zeal to protect his Islamic credentials.


PAS lawmaker Khalid Samad described the actions taken by Najib’s aides as a “blatant act of religious intolerance” that reflected the prevailing attitude of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government.


“Christians have the right to celebrate their religious festivals as they see fit. I don’t see why Najib’s men had to go and give orders to remove this or that,” he told The Malaysian Insider today.“It would be just like going to Batu Caves and telling the Hindus to remove the statues there,” he added.He explained that right-thinking Muslims understood that they were not celebrating the festival but showing respect and solidarity to followers of other creeds at such festivals.


Khalid noted that Najib could have easily avoided the ruckus if he had given clear directives to his staff on his personal policy regarding visits for religious occasions.“If he felt that he was going to feel uncomfortable with all the crosses there, then he shouldn’t have gone.“Otherwise, if he understands that as a Muslim his faith won’t be compromised... he should have told his men,” the 53-year-old said.“The logical way to treat the situation now is for him to apologise on behalf of his aides and put the matter right,” said Khalid.


Kok said the PM should take full responsibility and apologise. Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok accused the prime minister of trying to curb religious freedom and demanded he take full responsibility and apologise.“Najib should apologise to [the] Christian Federation of Malaysia for ‘de-Christianising’ their Christmas celebration,” she said in a strongly-worded media statement today.


“Christians have a right to be offended,” PKR’s communications chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider today. “It can get quite serious because ultimately the buck stops with him. He is the boss. He has to take accountability,” he said.

read in full here.

While the accusing trio of Khalid Samad, Kok and Nazmi had a field day whacking Najib UMNO and BN left, right and centre based on the MI report, there came a report from the usually Pakatan leaning Malaysiakini a day later:

Tiada arahan rasmi buang salib di program PM
Aidila Razak, Dis 31, 10 6:42pm


Persekutuan Kristian Malaysia (CFM) mengesahkan tidak pernah menerima sebarang arahan rasmi daripada Pejabat Perdana Menteri supaya supaya membuang elemen keagamaan daripada satu majlis sambutan Krismas yang dihadiri Datuk Seri Najib Razak pada 25 Disember lalu.


"CFM tidak menerima apa-apa arahan bertulis. Saya tidak mengetahui mengenai apa-apa arahan yang diberikan dariapda Pejabat Perdana Menteri," kata setiausaha eksekutif CFM Tan Kong Beng ketika dihubungi hari ini.


Tan juga berkata, beliau berkara urusan melibatkan Jabatan Perdana Menteri pada kebiasaannya akan dijalankan olehnya.


Ketua biskop Kuala Lumpur Murphy Pakiam yang menganjur majlis berkenaan bagaimanapun tidak dapat dihubungi hari ini.


Sumber di Pejabat Perdana Menteri juga mendakwa tiadak arahan rasmi dikeluarkan berhubung perkara itu.

read more here.

So who should be apologising now? I think an apology from Kok, Khalid and Nazmi to PM Najib is in order and the Christian thing to do isn't it.


Read a scathing post by Cucu Tok Selampit, excerpts:

Apabila DS Najib Tun Razak difitnah bahawa beliau telah mengarahkan supaya lambang salib disisihkan daripada satu majlis yang dihadirinya di kediaman Ketua Gereja Katolik, Kuala Lumpur pada 25 Disember 2010, kebanyakan blogger-blogger pro-Kerajaan mengambil pendirian untuk mendiamkan diri. Ini bagi mengelakkan mereka dari menulis sesuatu yang boleh mencetuskan provokasi Agama. Arahan berkenaan juga didakwa melarang berlakunya upacara sembahyang dan nyanyian lagu-lagu pemujaan di majlis anjuran Persekutuan Kristian Malaysia (CFM).

Lebih perit lagi beberapa Ahli Parlimen dan ADUN seperti Ahli Parlimen Shah Alam, YB Khalid "Gereja" Samad, ADUN Seri Setia YB Nik Nazmi dan yang paling lantang mengherdik dan mengkritik DS Najib, Ahli Parlimen Seputeh, YB Teressa Cock opps ... Kok telah mendesak dan menuntut DS Najib Razak supaya memohon maaf berhubung kononnya arahan berkenaan didakwa datangnya daripada Pejabat Perdana Menteri.

 

Semalam apabila Malaysiakini menyiarkan berita mengenai Persekutuan Kristian Malaysia (CFM) mengesahkan tidak pernah menerima sebarang arahan rasmi daripada Pejabat Perdana Menteri supaya supaya membuang elemen keagamaan daripada satu majlis sambutan Krismas yang dihadiri Datuk Seri Najib Razak pada 25 Disember lalu, semua pihak yang memfitnah DS Najib mendiamkan diri. Malah penulis sendiri telah meminta agar ketiga-tiga YB berkenaan supaya mengeluarkan kenyataan rasmi meminta maaf kepada Perdana Menteri. Setakat posting ini ditulis, tiada balasan Twitter diterima walaupun ketiga-tiga YB ini memang selalunya menjawab Twitter yang ditanya.

read the rest here.