KUCHING: Sarawak-owned television station TVS says the song "O Holy Night" will be performed in its upcoming Christmas programme.
It said a miscommunication had occurred among parties involved over the choice of songs for the "A Christmas Carol, Sarawak in Diversity" programme.
"The organisers have no intention of excluding the song from the programme.
"In fact, they are working to include the song and are diligently preparing all the necessary elements for its performance," TVS said in a joint statement with the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) on Friday (Nov 24).
TVS said the programme's main objective was to create a Christmas-themed musical event with 1,500 participants, showcasing the unity of Sarawak's multiracial diversity.
"We wish to assure everyone that the production of this programme, scheduled for Dec 3, will proceed as planned and will be broadcast on TVS on Dec 23," it added.
The statement came following uproar over the exclusion of "O Holy Night", which led to the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) turning down an invitation to join the programme.
ACS had said it requested TVS to include the song in place of "Jingle Bell Rock" but this was rejected due to "religious elements" and protocols from the Film Censorship Board and Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
