The sentient among Malaysia’s 850,000 Catholics, out of a Christian population of 2.3 million - about 9 percent of the country’s 27.5 million people - would have been disturbed by reports that crucifixes had to be removed before Prime Minister Najib Razak graced the Christian Federation of Malaysia’s open house on Dec 25.

It is precisely this category of Catholic that will welcome the turn of Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing, bishop of the Malacca-Johor diocese, as head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

The two-year presidency commences today and ought to wholly...