Church Members Join Interfaith Friends in Revival of Multicultural Celebrations

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On the evening of June 21, 2025, members of the Petaling Jaya (PJ) Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Malaysia were invited to share their musical talents at the 2025 Malam Muhibbah

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Celebration. This year’s event was hosted by the Pure Life Society (PLS) an interfaith organization that seeks “to promote the spirit of unity in the face of diversity through service to the community irrespective of race or religion”. The event was held at their premises in Jalan Puchong, Malaysia.

Malam Muhibbah directly translates into English as “the good night”. Muhibbah is a Malay word meaning a feeling of friendship, camaraderie, tolerance and understanding. It is derived from the Arabic word habibba meaning “love”. It is commonly used in multicultural settings to bring everyone together.

This event saw over 200 people of different religions and races came together to enjoy an evening of music and dance. PLS President Dato Amiga Sreenevasan welcomed everyone to the first Malam Muhibbah since 2019, which was a yearly event prior to its interruption by the COVID-19 pandemic. She stated, “Unity is not a luxury, it is a necessity. We are here to build bridges. Unity is not just spoken of but should be lived and experienced.”

Guest of honor, Yang Berhormat Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, Malaysia’s Minister of National Unity, underscored the three core elements of unity: understanding, respect and acceptance. He further stated, “A civil society is the hand and feet of unity, people who can come across differences.” Following his remarks, the audience was treated to a delightful program of multicultural dances, songs, martial arts, yoga demonstrations and even the magic of a mask-changing illusionist.

Church members of the PJ Branch contributed inspiring music and songs to the program. Young Single Adult Representative, Daiki Tanji from Japan, provided a wonderful rendition of the Japanese tune “Sukiyaki”. The song lyrics tell a bittersweet story about holding back tears and trying to stay positive during hard times. 

Other PJ Branch members, David Paradiso on the guitar, and his son Santiago on the drums, were joined by their Brazilian friend Patricia Camargo in performing “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley. This song provided a powerful anthem about freedom, resilience, and a call for unity and self-empowerment. 

The audience was further thrilled by a visit and impromptu performance by the legendary Malaysian pop singer, Dato DJ Dave. Outside of his music career, Dato DJ Dave has been a strong advocate for social causes and is heavily involved in raising awareness and funds for underprivileged and disabled children. Before his performance, he praised the efforts of all in attendance and said, “This was Malaysia 20 years ago. This is the Malaysia that we want back.”

Program attendee Mr. Stephen Nah expressed, “The event was a great success, thanks to the organizing team and all who assisted. The performances were excellent.” Interfaith advocate Mr. Gopal Balakrishnan, shared his gratitude by saying, “Malam Muhibbah was brought back after five years, and it was spectacular in every sense.” 

President Joseph Skipps from the Church’s Kuala Lumpur District presidency and his wife Anita, took the opportunity to mix and mingle with the leaders of other faiths. They discovered that they were living in Sydney at the same time as Most Reverend Julian Leow, the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, when he was responsible for the Randwick Sydney Australia Diocese. They were able to share many fond memories of Australia and their multicultural society. Regarding the event, President Skipps said, “What a wonderful way of building bridges with so many others who live charitable and virtuous lives to bless all God’s children”.

Before dismissing the audience to enjoy a meal featuring many cuisines, PLS Vice President Dato V L Kandan praised the efforts of the organizing committee. At the conclusion of the performances, event emcee Geetha Madhaven reminded all those in attendance that, “Unity isn’t just a slogan, it is a foundation for which we stand.”