KUCHING: The Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) has extended warm greetings to all Hindus in conjunction with the celebration of Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights, calling on Malaysians to embrace unity, compassion, and moral courage in times of division and conflict.
Chairman of ACS, The Right Reverend Datuk Danald Jute, who is also the Bishop of Kuching (Sarawak and Brunei Darussalam) and President of the Council of Churches Malaysia, said that light is a powerful symbol of all that is good and should guide people in building a more harmonious and just society.
“We all can be and should be bearers of light in a world which has witnessed and experienced so much aggression, division, conflict and war: economic, geopolitical, communal, and inter-religious,” he said in a statement.
He expressed concern that even schools have not been spared from fear and acts of violence, depriving children of peaceful and joyful learning environments.
“On this Festival of Lights, we call on everyone to shine forth our lights and bring to the fore the goodness we each have.
“In this way, we can contribute towards building and strengthening peaceful coexistence and providing light and hope for our young people,” he said.
Danald further emphasised that the light of goodness must lead people to reject corruption, injustice, intolerance, prejudice, hatred, and any form of bullying.
He urged Malaysians to let the spirit of Deepavali inspire the removal of darkness in all forms, whether in hearts, homes, or communities, and to replace it with empathy, unity, and mutual respect.
“Let us therefore banish from our hearts and homes any shadows of prejudice, fear and despair with the light of unity, peace, compassion, and mutual respect,” he said.
