[Watch] Rafizi Shares Christmas Memories, Calls For Unity And Mutual Respect

From barely knowing how to play clarinet in a Scottish Christmas musical to supervising ‘goody-goody two-shoes’ Christian interns, Rafizi’s holiday message is simple: diversity isn’t just policy—it’s personal, and it’s worth protecting.

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Former Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli took to social media on Christmas Day with a personal message that wove together memories from his youth and a call for the younger generation to experience the diversity he once did.

“Merry Christmas to all Malaysians who celebrate it, and to friends from all over the world,” Rafizi wrote in a Facebook post titled “Merry Christmas and a Better 2026.”

The ex-PKR deputy president, known for his data-driven approach to policy, offered a rare glimpse into his formative years, beginning with five years in the small royal town of Kuala Kangsar, Perak.

I was lucky enough to spend five years in a small town called Kuala Kangsar, where a mosque, a church, and a Hindu temple were all within about 500 metres of each other.

At boarding school there, Sunday outings into town meant walking past a morning church congregation—a memory that clearly stuck with him.

From Perak to Scotland

Rafizi’s experiences with diversity extended beyond Malaysia.

He spent his A-Levels at a boarding school in Scotland, where the annual Christmas musical became a highlight.

Rafizi barely knew how to play the clarinet at the time, but the school’s music teacher was so moved that two foreigners were willing to play the clarinet that she managed to smuggle him and his friend into the school’s orchestra.

Of course, we played the easiest part of the ensemble.

The productions during his two years there included Fiddler on the Roof and Oliver—experiences he described as “wonderful.”

After graduation, while working at an audit firm in London, the annual Christmas dinner became the office’s major celebration.

‘Goody-goody Two-Shoes’

Over the years, Rafizi said he’s also supervised Christian interns—describing them fondly as “goody-goody two-shoes whose moral compass was consistently higher than average.”

These accumulated experiences, he said, strengthened a core belief.

Learning to know and love one another is a very important part of being human.

His wish? That younger Malaysians get the same opportunities he had.

“If there is one wish I always have, it is that the younger generation will be as lucky as I have been to experience this diversity and mutual respect,” Rafizi wrote.

The message comes at a time when discussions on religious and ethnic harmony continue in Malaysia’s multicultural society—a 500-metre radius in Kuala Kangsar serving as a small but potent reminder of what coexistence can look like.

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