COMMENT This year we commemorate the 57th anniversary of Merdeka and the 51st anniversary of the establishment of the Federation of Malaysia. The Christian community in Malaysia has always counted it a blessing to be part of the great moments and milestones of our shared history as a nation.

Our experience of this past year, however, has been marred by the painful memory of two incidents; first, our sacred scriptures being seized from the premises of the Bible Society of Malaysia and second, the refusal of the Federal Court to grant leave to the Roman Catholic Church to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal in the Herald case...