Kota Kinabalu: Videos taken at several hospitals in Sabah and Sarawak to usher in the Christmas season have been welcomed by netizens that unity goes beyond racial and religious boundaries.
The videos of the Christmas cheer were taken at Queen Elizabeth Hospital as part of the hospital’s Christmas Decoration Competition.
The other videos were taken in Bintulu and Kudat hospitals.
They showcased Sabah and Sarawak’s multicultural spirit with healthcare workers and patients joining in the festivities.
The Christmas decoration competition at QEH.
Participants donned Christmas hats and sang traditional Christmas carols, creating an atmosphere of joy and camaraderie.
“I am so proud to see this in Sabah Kota Kinabalu QE1 Hospital – we are truly 1Malaysia!,” said one Facebook user.
“So super cool! How lovely! Merry Xmas to everyone,” said another Facebook post.
In SEPANGGAR, Member of Parliament-cum- Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, distributed cash aid to 86 churches in his constituency to assist in preparing for the coming Christmas celebrations. The ceremony was held at St Catherine Church in Inanam.
“This initiative is to support all churches in Sepanggar constituency as they prepare to celebrate Christmas,” he said, and wished all Christian residents a Merry Christmas.
Mustapha said the occasion is a time of unity and strengthening relationships among the people, regardless of religious differences.
Christmas joy at Kudat hospital.
“We hope this celebration will build stronger bonds between communities. Let us celebrate together and use this opportunity to enhance friendships and family ties, even though we may come from different faiths,” he said.
In TUARAN, more than 1,500 people attended the Tuaran Christmas Night Festival 2024 at the Tuaran field last Sunday.
The event, organised by the Lions Club of Tuaran, was the first to be held in the district (top left).
Lions Club Of Tuaran President, Kapitan Frankie Goh, said it aimed to provide an opportunity for communities of different races and religions, especially in Tuaran, to celebrate Christmas together.
“Among the goals is to foster a spirit of tolerance, harmony and unity among the Tuaran community of different races, races and religions so that they can respect each other’s cultures and beliefs,” he said.
Organising Chairman Juhaini Dayun said this event would from now on be a yearly feature in the district.
“For the record, this year Lions Club Tuaran also organised the Tuaran Unicorn, Dragon & Lions Dance Festival in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations and the Tuaran Tanglung Festival in September.
“We express our gratitude to the Chief Minister for always providing support and contributions to programmes organised by the Lions Club Tuaran,” she said.
Various interesting events were organised including the lighting of the giant Christmas Tree, Choir performances from Roman Catholic, SDA, SIB and Basel churches.
Also performing were the SJKC Chung Hwa Tamparuli Brass Band and lucky draw. Donations were made to several churches in the district.
The event was officiated by Member of Parliament for Tuaran and Chairman of Sabah Electricity Datuk Seri Willfred Madius Tangau.
Celebration at Bintulu hospital.
In his speech, Madius related the events to the festival of lights, “Where light is often a symbol of hope, joy and love, especially during festive seasons such as Christmas.
"In the context of Christmas, light is not just a decoration but also a symbol that symbolises the presence of light that dispels darkness.
“In this event, we also inaugurated a 29-foot tall Christmas tree organised by the Lions Club. Hopefully this event will become a new tradition in Tuaran in the years to come,” he said.
