COMMENT Among the thousands of celebratory messages put out by the nation's political leaders during festive holidays for public consumption during the last decade, the most recent one by the country's newest Menteri Besar, Mohamed Azmin Ali, in conjunction with Hari Raya Haji or Aidiladha, stands out.

Azmin’s message is, in my view, among only a few of these generally ritualistic and meaningless messages that are worth paying attention to. The message is worth reading in its entirety; and for Muslims in the country to ponder over in terms of its significance to their community, which is now at a critical crossroad in their political and social development.

In his message, Azmin Ali used the example of Malcolm X, the black American leader who became a Muslim religious leader as well as a human rights activist and freedom fighter...