COMMENT With the Himpun rally, freighted with anti-Christian overtones, set for staging tomorrow, perspective is needed not so much on the amorphous question of Muslim fear of Christianisation but rather the more pertinent issue of some Muslim politicians' manipulation of that fear.

Incidentally, it is 21 years this past week from the time the country witnessed what was then, for its Christian denizens at least, an astonishing demonstration of the latter phenomenon.

In the immediate prelude to the 8th general election on Oct 20, 1990, the opposition coalition of Gagasan Rakyat, made up of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's Semangat 46, DAP and PAS, obtained the support of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) which had been in power in Sabah from 1985.

PBS's decision to link up with Gagasan added frisson to the popular discontent towards the BN administration of then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad...