Kurup with Father Louis Kessels and Imam M Nur Bachtiar at the Church of Mary Immaculate in Bukit Padang near Kota Kinabalu on Saturday
KOTA KINABALU: Hundreds took part in a Harmony Travelogue and Walk event by visiting religious establishments in Penampang on Saturday.
Together with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and state Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid, the group comprised religious figures, including imams and Buddhist monks, and national service trainees.
They had stopped by at the Catholic Church of Mary Immaculate before walking to the nearby Sri Pasupathinath Alayam Hindu temple and concluding the event at the Nurul Hikmah mosque.
"Events like this serve as an icebreaker among people of different faiths,” said Kurup, chairman of the Committee on the Promotion of the Understanding and Harmony among Religious Organisations.
"This is an opportunity for different communities to better understand each other’s faiths,” said Kurup who also led representatives of 18 religious organisations in a meeting with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
Following the meeting on Friday, Musa said Malaysians should approach sensitive matters such as religion and race relations based on the principles of moderation and mutual respect.
“We in Sabah never had problems with religious issues. We live in a society where inter-marriages are common, visiting each other’s open houses during festivities is normal and to sit and drink together is part of our daily lives,” he said.
Musa said it was unfortunate that there are now attempts by certain political quarters to tear apart the prevailing unity and stability for their own interests.
“This type of politics is not only reckless but dangerous. No one should allow themselves to be used by those who are out to further their own political and personal agendas,” he said.
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