In the last 30 years, we have celebrated with a Christmas event in our home about once every ten years or so. The first was when we moved in and invited all neighbours to join our celebration. The second was after we returned from the US after my PhD. The third was after I took optional retirement from the Public Services of Malaysia.

Unfortunately though, I also observed a rising - but worrying - phenomenon over these 30 years. Increasingly, and over time, my Malay neighbours stopped coming to our celebrations at our home. No reasons were explicitly given, but one honest Malay neighbour explained to us that it was because people were not sure if our food was halal and that the Malays were moreover becoming more conservative with religious values.