Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing hailed the rebuke dealt to Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi by the Abim president for exculpatory remarks on the cow head incident as a “milestone if only because one Muslim NGO renowned for its defence of Islam has seen fit to publicly upbraid a Muslim leader infamous for being a one-eyed jack”.

“This is an event that cannot pass without laudatory comments by non-Muslims,” said the head of the Catholic Church in the Malacca-Johor diocese.

“Ten non-Muslim leaders can criticise a Muslim leader for being remiss but it won’t have the impact of one Muslim who is notable for defending the religion telling off another for being reprehensible,” observed the Jesuit-trained prelate.

Paul Tan was commenting on Abim president Amidi Manan’s ( left ) public chastisement of Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for “unIslamic” remarks the latter made on the incident in Penang where a cow head was placed at the gate of the home of Sri Delima assemblyperson RSN Rayer.

While lamenting the incident, Zahid said that Rayer had been uncouth and thus had invited an action Hindus view as a desecration.   

Rayer had incurred the ire of right wing Malay groups for hurling invective - “Umno celaka”, was the epithet he vented at the Penang state assembly - when denouncing the antics of demonstrators, allegedly linked to Umno, at protests held earlier this year in Seberang Jaya.

Days after Rayer’s discharge of rancor in the state assembly, a group of demonstrators brushed aside security and barged into the building while the assembly was in session, looking for Rayer who was not present.  

Fifteen of the intruders are now facing trespassing charges while the Attorney-General’s Chambers is mulling a sedition charge against Rayer, though comments made in the state assembly enjoy parliamentary immunity.

“On the invective bourse, you can see that one insult only serves to beget another,” opined Bishop Paul Tan ( right ).

“If I could offer advice, it is that civility is not a sign of weakness and intra-religious criticism is not necessarily to the detriment of the religion,” argued the prelate.

“As a Christian I would counsel all to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with their God,” concluded the bishop.

NGO ticks off Zahid for 'un-Islamic' remark