I'm studying in the US and keeping up with news back home through malaysiakini . I am appalled with the statement by the politician who told off the shopping malls to de-emphasise their Christmas display because it was like giving in to `western influence'.

Does he not know that most of the Dayaks and other Sabah and Sarawak bumiputra are Christian? Are they any less Malaysian than Muslim Malays? And while Christianity may have come to Malaysia via Western missionaries, Christianity actually originated from the Middle East like Islam did.

It pains me to see people in power so ignorant and inconsiderate.