Around noon on February 2, two Malay neighbours visited me with their families, joining us in CNY celebration, as they did in the past.

While enjoying the nasi kerabu bought from IOI City Mall, we started with chats about family matters before unwittingly switching to ghost stories we had experienced.

While I personally never had any encounter with supernatural events, the stories of my wife and daughter were rather hair-raising, though.

Thus, our CNY dinner with our Malay neighbours this year unfolded in some spine-chilling tales.

Out of everyone’s expectation, one of the neighbours had quite a good number of ghastly stories to share with his hosts as well as fellow neighbours.

Perhaps because it was broad daylight, the ghost stories appeared to be more entertaining than actually frightening!

After the dinner, the neighbours texted me to thank me for inviting them over, saying the most memorable part of this gathering was the many stories that we shared, besides the mouth-watering food served.

It was a harmonious afternoon completely free of any racial or religious barrier. No ugly faces of politicians, only genuine friendship between neighbours.

When Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Mohd Na’im Mokhtar announced that the government would issue new guidelines to regulate Muslims’ participation in celebrations and funerals held at non-Muslim religious places, I was overwhelmed with a mixed bag of feelings, not so much frustration per se!

For so many years Malaysian households have been enjoying relative harmony in complete absence of annoying regulations or guidelines, and people of all colours have been able to mingle rather seamlessly with unpretentious brotherly love.

Strong bonds were forged through reciprocal visits, while mutual understanding deepened, and differences and suspicions that stood our way dissolved.

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor has been committed to the safeguarding of our cherished diversity, advocating the value of moderation, and has been outspoken on a melange of issues, including instructing the state religious affairs department to allow the Bon Odori celebration, for instance.

On February 8, His Royal Highness and Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin visited Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple for Selangor government’s 2025 CNY gathering with people of all races in the state, a most convincing testament of his support for multiculturalism.

In the past, His Majesty Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim used to be a regular guest at the procession organised by Johor Ancient Temple, in his capacity as the Sultan of Johor.

Over the years, these open-minded rulers have taken affirmative actions to defend Malaysia’s multicultural spirit and harmony.

In view of this, the religious minister should be ashamed of the guidelines he proposed, as they will discourage free interactions among Malaysians while erecting a prohibitive wall between Muslims and non-Muslims in this country, deepening public uneasiness and suspicion.

After the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the cabinet had decided to shelve the guidelines on Muslims’ participation in non-Muslim celebrations and funerals.

He believed Muslims have the ability to make sound judgements in the absence of any government intervention and guidelines. Rightly so!

As a matter of fact, many foreigners see our country as a piece of paradise on earth. I have observed from some recent RedNote videos that many young Chinese women visiting Malaysia are indeed yearning to marry or even settle down here!

The pleasant living environment here, perfect weather, diverse cultures, endless food options, and unparalleled hospitality of the local people, have all made these foreigners so fascinated by our beautiful country.

I am pretty sure the solid friendship between me and my Malay neighbours is ubiquitous across this country. We have endless heart-warming stories to share. We always think of one another in the midst of our festive celebrations, and are prepared to host our friends and neighbours from other ethnic and religious backgrounds with unreserved sincerity, as we enjoy harmonious inter-community relations that we have steadfastly defended all these years.

Malaysia is not a battleground to pit ourselves against our fellow Malaysians of other ethnicities. Malaysia is our home, a safe haven for all of us, a place we can turn to when we face problems and difficulties, here or abroad.

Many politicians are delighted to raise sensitive issues and incite ethnic confrontation, while claiming to have Chinese ancestry during elections in an attempt to win the trust and goodwill of the Chinese electorate.

They unashamedly tell lies and utter sensitive racial remarks to support their vows to protect ethnic rights, changing into red clothes or Chinese suits to visit Chinese homes and deliver their festive greetings – all this just to show how inclusive they are and how much they value ethnic integration and unity.

They should bear in mind that nothing that they have done, now or in the past, can escape the people’s watchful eyes in this era of information overload.

When you were in the opposition, issues that you carelessly raised and ethnic confrontation that you provoked would never be whitewashed by you – with the motive of convincing other ethnic groups that you are not an extremist and are prepared to safeguard everyone’s right – after you have ascended to power.

We must be true to our initial intent, in particular politicians who must wholeheartedly serve the electorate, instead of manipulating public opinions through divisive antics.

Malaysian politicians have been known to be hurling insults at other communities in an attempt to protrude their heroic image among their own people, loudly proclaiming spirit-lifting slogans such as “we are a family”, “we are all Malaysians” or “1Malaysia” – when an election nears. But, how long will that last?

As the biggest ethnic community in this country, the Malays must wake up and refuse to be led by the nose by politicians.

No matter how the political landscape here has shifted, the Malays remain firmly in control of the military and are still holding the reins of this nation; they will never lose power!

The Malays should have more confidence competing with other ethnic groups on an equal footing. They can improve themselves by humbly learning from one another.

The only way to survive and prosper is to constantly strive for self-enhancement.

Today, we can see that more and more Malays excel in various fields on the international stage, and this shows their outstanding talents and abilities, which not only have made the Malays proud, but also their fellow countrymen of Chinese or Indian descent.

All Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Dusuns and other indigenous peoples in this country must see one another as brothers and sisters. We must stay united and devote all our energies to development and innovation, not squandering our energies on debilitating racial issues.

We should work together to compete with countries from around the world in the fields of science and technology, sports, medical care, etc., so that our country can stand tall on the international stage.

So, why the big fuss about some Chinese flags waved in a procession? Do we need to harp on this issue and lodge unnecessary daily reports to the police who should prioritise the maintenance of public order instead.

Such irrelevant political manipulations only serve to divert public attention from more crucial matters in a sheer waste of public resources, doing nothing to shore up national unity and progress of the country.

And, why is it so hard to recognise the UEC certificate? Chinese education is no longer exclusive to the Chinese community of Malaysia today. It provides a fertile ground to groom young Malaysian talents of all ethnic origins, allowing the Malays and Indians, too, to confidently compete with people from other countries in the Chinese language.

Malaysia is not a battleground to pit ourselves against our fellow Malaysians of other ethnicities. Malaysia is our home, a safe haven for all of us, a place we can turn to when we face problems and difficulties, here or abroad.

When defining the word “home”, we need to throw in the attributes of tolerance, harmony, care and mutual support, which collectively define our strength and source of progress.

In view of this, it is our responsibility to preserve the harmony and unity of this “home”.

Home is also where we can share our ghost stories after dinner and laugh heartily!