There were shockwaves around the country recently after news broke out that a Chinese Muslim eatery in Kuala Lumpur had sacked an employee after a video of him wearing a cross at work went viral on social media!
Incidentally, when PM Anwar came to power in last December’s general election, he had the overwhelming support of the non-Muslims voters in the country to thank for; there was also much optimism that he would be the one to steer the country back to its original status as a moderate Muslim-majority nation - where freedom of religion was guaranteed.
Indeed, things started out on the right note, and amidst plenty of fanfare, he even rolled out a new form of government based on the “Madani concept” which espoused the core values of good governance, sustainable development and racial harmony - truly befitting a multiracial and multi-religious country.
However, there have been many bumps along the road since those heady days and the latest incident could yet be another indication that all may not be well in this relatively peaceful Southeast-Asian nation.
According to a report in the news website FMT, a popular “beef roti” restaurant in Kuala Lumpur had sacked an employee after they found out about a viral video where he was seen wearing a cross!
Apparently, the manager of the outlet, identified only as Sofia, had apologised to those who were offended by the sight and felt uneasy after watching the video; she was also quoted as saying that the restaurant’s five other employees were all Chinese Muslims, four of whom were from China.
However, her action drew criticisms from social media users who lambasted the eatery as they showed sympathy for the dismissed worker, who is seen in the video clip diligently preparing the restaurant’s crispy beef-filled roti.
Some had even reprimanded the business owners saying that the decision to sack the employee was not right and that wearing a cross had no bearing on the halal status of the food served!
Meanwhile, another social media user had questioned the management as to why the employee was given the boot if he did not breach any rules in terms of preparing the food and causing people to fall ill or suffer food poisoning; while another irate netizen pointed out that the sacked employee can sue his former employer for religious discrimination as it was a clear case of unfair dismissal.
Meanwhile, the World of Buzz reported that the said restaurant has continued to come under fire with one disgusted netizen asking “What was the problem if a Christian person wanted to work at a Muslim restaurant?” The person went on to remark whether it was any different from the “halal” food prepared by non-Muslim workers in places such as KFC and McDonalds.
Incidentally, this latest controversy must have reminded many of the case in Johor a few years ago when images of a laundrette in Muar displaying a sign that it only allowed Muslim customers at the premise was widely shared on social media; this had subsequently attracted a barrage of criticism.
In fact, it even drew the fury of Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar who then ordered the laundrette to stop the discriminatory practice immediately, saying it was embarrassing and against his inclusive vision of a Bangsa Johor; he also warned the owner not to mess around with narrow-minded religious prejudices as Johor wasn’t a Taliban state!
Furthermore, he was reported to have directed the state executive council and all the councils to insist that any business owners who carry out such blatant discriminatory practices should have their licences revoked. (Read here)
Indeed, isn't it odd that in a country like Malaysia which practices democracy - while the government churns out sweet-sounding slogans like “1 Malaysia” and “Malaysia Madani” - it's the Rulers who often have to “turun padang” to educate the public (and politicians!) about the importance of exercising tolerance and mutual respect - especially when living in a multiracial and multi-religious society.
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