It’s the sort of scene that would be difficult, if not impossible, for Peninsular Malaysians to imagine happening: a Roman Catholic priest was ordained in a church in Pekan Ranau, Sabah, surrounded by his Muslim relatives.
The photos of the joyous event, shared on Facebook, have gone viral, probably by Malaysians in the peninsula flabbergasted that something could have happened in the country.
35-year old Abel Madisang was ordained as a Catholic priest on Monday, accompanied by supportive relatives professing various faiths. Madisang’s aunts and cousins, wearing headscarves emblematic of their devotion to Islam, were shared on Facebook by his Muslim relative Japiril Suhaimin:
The images inspired many social media users to hail the event as a proud (East) Malaysian moment. Many of the 276 comments the post has garnered so far have expressed pride and gratitude to Father Abel and his family for showcasing what Malaysian society could achieve by practicing religious and cultural tolerance – tolerance West Malaysia seems to be sorely lacking of late.
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