By Teresa Kok, MP for Seputeh

On the night of Christmas Eve 1914, German and British soldiers fighting in World War 1, put down their guns, crawled cautiously out of their trenches and approached one another, as friends not foes, to exchange Christmas greetings.

Together, as comrades, they sang “Silent Night” and other Christmas carols and celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ by exchanging simple “gifts” of cigarettes, plum pudding or a cup of coffee while chatting about loved ones back home.

It is said the warring countries refused to declare an official ceasefire but the soldiers took it upon themselves to unofficially do it anyway.

So too should we, as Malaysians, take it upon ourselves to lay down our “arms” and embrace each other this Christmas, not so much for our similarities but in celebration of our unique differences.

I, for one, will have to acknowledge that the year has been a tough one. Politically, DAP faced an uphill battle. I, myself was physically threatened on numerous occasions, then charged with sedition later. In many ways, it seems that for every step we took forward, we were forced to take two steps back.

There are many things that DAP still fights for – more religious freedom as enshrined in our Federal Constitution; more accountability from our country’s leaders; better educational standards for our young; a concerted effort to end poverty, a more resilient economy.

We are also committed to battle racial and religious extremism in all its forms, no matter how daring certain groups have become in recent months or how wild their accusations.

However as fractured as we may seem to be today, my Christmas wish to all Malaysians is that we can see beyond race, religion, corruption, greed and power to embrace our uniqueness of being a dynamic, caring and peace-loving nation.

As a Catholic, Christmas has always had a special place in my heart. It has always been less about presents and grand dinners and more about surrounding myself with people who mean a great deal to me whether family, friends or work colleagues.

This year, that circle of family and friends has been widened to include you, all Malaysians, whoever you are and wherever you may be in this beautiful nation of ours.