Don T Misuse Prayer To Seek Deliverance For Najib

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When the Court of Appeal ruled recently in favour of Najib Abdul Razak on the issue of house arrest, MIC must have jumped in joy because its prayer was answered.
MIC did not participate in the rally organised to lend moral support to the former premier when the judges deliberated on the merit of his appeal.
The party played by the rules and obeyed the police order not to join the assembly held on the grounds of the Palace of Justice.
Instead, MIC chose another weapon that it believed would be awesome: the power of prayer. So, hundreds of party members gathered on the temple grounds at Batu Caves and offered their prayers.
ADSThey must have prayed very hard because Najib indeed emerged victorious in this latest court battle. The prisoner must have thanked MIC profusely for its prayers of intercession at a time when all hope seemed lost for him.
A desecration of prayer
But a prayer is something sacred that must be treated with the utmost respect and sincerity. It is not something that can be used for all and sundry.
Prayer can serve many purposes but it is definitely not meant to be used as a platform to seek divine aid for a person who has committed a crime for which he got his just deserts.
Hundreds of MIC members gathering at the Batu Caves temple to pray for Najib Abdul Razak on Jan 6, 2025Surely, even the Almighty One cannot approve of his conduct, let alone forgive him for perpetrating such a monumental misdeed. It is an immoral act that goes against every tenet and teaching of every religion.
And yet a public prayer session was organised to enlist the help of the Supreme Being on behalf of the unrepentant miscreant. Perhaps, the solemn request was heard in the heavens but what happened in the appellate court was not in response to what happened in Batu Caves.
The judges did their solemn duty without being distracted and detracted by the illegal rally or the earnest request floating up from a temple ground. There was certainly no guidance from a spiritual power when your honour arrived at your decision.
Prayers cannot be misused for political ends. It is acceptable when we ask for divine help in the face of personal or national tragedies. We pray for rain to end the drought, for violence to stop, for good health, for sound governance, for sanity to prevail in times of political turmoil, and many other reasons for which only prayers can heal.
But to pray for Najib? Listen to the voice of conscience - it screams “No! No! No!” It is not the right thing to do. Seeking divine favour for a big-time criminal is morally repugnant.
Pray for a corruption-free M’sia instead
Najib’s travail must not be portrayed as the story of a helpless man who is at heart a good man. His downfall is his own doing and no one, not even the heavens, can pull him out of the quagmire.
Instead of praying for Najib's deliverance, it would be more appropriate to make a wish as Malaysia continues its push for a corruption-free society.
Our ardent wish is to see Malaysia emerge healthier and stronger - free from the likes of Najib. In this Najib-free era, we must continue to hold high the “beacon of light” so that the “ideals of justice” will continue to light the path forward to a better nation. -Mkini
PHLIP RODRIGUES is a retired journalist.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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