ISKANDAR Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang criticised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for his absence from the Christian Federation of Malaysia’s (CFM) annual Christmas high tea.
Ismail Sabri’s no-show at the event illustrated his inability to prove that he is Prime Minister for all Malaysians and that the ‘Keluarga Malaysia’ slogan is inclusive of everybody regardless of race and religion, said the DAP veteran.
“A Malaysian PM who really understands the Malaysian Constitution and the Rukun Negara principles would not have missed the annual Christmas high tea, or at least, ensured that he would be officially represented,” Lim pointed out.
“Malaysia cannot succeed as a Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Dayak country – it can only succeed as a Malaysian nation.”
The CFM’s Christmas high tea is an annual gathering of Christian leaders of various denominations and top political figures since 1999.
Previous prime ministers have either attended the annual event or arranged for a representative.
The high tea session this year was held on Dec 25 at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Unlike previous years, there was no participation by cabinet members and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker was the only VIP to turn up to deliver the speech at the event.
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok had similarly slammed the PM for his absence during the event, calling it “disappointing” as it does not augur well for his Keluarga Malaysia concept.
According to Kok, she was told by the organisers that Ismail Sabri’s office did not even respond to the invitation, unlike past prime ministers who not only responded but had attended the gathering in the festive spirit.
On Christmas day, Ismail Sabri had taken to Facebook to express his Christmas greetings, asking the people not to forget those who had been badly affected by the floods and to always obey standard operating procedures (SOPs) to stay safe. – Dec 27, 2021
