Category: Religion

By Susan Loone
May 7, 2011

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has expressed outrage over a front-page report today headlined ‘Malaysia Negara Kristian?’ (Malaysia a Christian state?) in Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia.

Lim turned his guns on the Malay daily for the false report which was based on a couple of pro-Umno blogs and accused Utusan of planning to “set 1Malaysia on fire” by playing up racial and religious sentiments.

According to Lim, the newspaper was playing a dangerous game by front-paging an article without verifying the allegations featured in anonymous blogs such as Bigdog.com and Marahku.com.

“Utusan wants to set 1Malaysia on fire… it is the most evil (jahat) and dangerous element in our country right now,” decried an angry Lim at a press conference in Penang today.

“I have asked my party leaders to lodge a police report on the matter. How can a lie be on the front page of a newspaper?” Continue reading “Utusan wants to set 1 Malaysia on fire, decries Lim”

Malaysiakini
May 6, 2011

A religious council has rubbished allegations that the position of Islam in the country is “under siege”.

Saying that they are “concerned”, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) is amazed by the remarks made by the Coalition of Muslim Organisations (Pembela) earlier this week.

“How could lslam’s position be under siege when all public institutions and other organs of government are under the control of Muslims?” asked coalition president Reverend Dr Thomas Philips.

He quoted Kita president Zaid Ibrahim who recently said in his blog that the Malays are already in complete political control.

The party president also said that various government-linked companies such as Maybank, Petronas, Telekom Malaysia are already in the government’s hand and managed by Malay-bumiputras.

“The G-20 group of largest listed GLCs alone possesses RM353 billion (around half) of the market capitalisation of the entire Bursa Malaysia,” Zaid had said.
Continue reading “Interfaith council: No one is questioning Islam”

By Debra Chong | TMI

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Organisers of a Christian meeting in Penang denied today allegations from pro-Umno bloggers that they were conspiring with the DAP to supplant Islam’s position as the country’s official religion in a bid to take over Putrajaya.

The heated religious rhetoric from before the April 16 Sarawak election appeared to have died down immediately after, only to flare up again this week as right-wing Malay groups sounded the alarm over the rising popularity of the Chinese-dominant DAP.

The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), together with partners Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship, said the claims against their community were lies and slammed the pro-Malay rights groups for driving a further wedge to create social disharmony in multicultural Malaysia apart from being seditious.

“The organiser vehemently denies such a claim as being unfounded and totally untrue aimed at creating division and social disharmony in multi-ethnic society of Malaysia and appears to be seditious,” the Christian group said in a statement this evening.
Continue reading “Christian leaders condemn claims trying to usurp Islam”

By N H Chan

It is because Christians, Jews and Muslims worship the same God as the God of Abraham

Before we all get confused, it is necessary to point out at the outset that the word which is spelt ‘Allah’ is an English word because it is written in English. The word which bears the same spelling in the National Language is a copy of that word which was first spelt in English in the sixteenth century. The English word Allah is the phonetic spelling of the Arabic word for God.

We all know that the Malay word for god is tuhan. We also know that the God of the Muslims is Allah which is actually what this word sounds like in Arabic. Since most of us do not read or write Arabic, we tend to take the phonetic spelling of the Arabic word for God as used in English dictionaries. However, from the point of view of Christians, Christians worship the same God as Muslims do. The God of Christians and the God of Muslims is the same God as the God of Abraham. So that if you are a Christian, the choice of using the word Allah in their Malay language Bible is obvious since Christians also worship Allah which is the Malay language equivalent – since Malay uses the same English phonetic spelling – of the God of Muslims. In this country to be Malay is to be a Muslim.
Continue reading “Why do Christians use the word Allah in their Malay language Bible and not tuhan?”

The wind of change is blowing strong and hard in Sarawak. In Kuching, Sibu, Bintangor, Sarikei, Bintulu and particularly Miri as well as all over the state, there can be no mistaking the deep and powerful yearning of the Sarawakians for political change.

I am particularly impressed by the awakening of the people of Miri, who after allowing Kuching and Sibu to lead political change in the past few decades, seemed to have galloped, almost overnight, to the very forefront to join and lead the quest for political change not only in Sarawak but also Malaysia.

I call on the voters of Sarawak on Saturday to write “416” in golden letters as the latest addition to the political lexicon of numbers as powerful symbols in the quest for political change in Sarawak and Malaysia.

Let Saturday, April 16, go down in Sarawak and Malaysian history as another major milestone in the battle to establish “People’s Power” and reclaim the birthright of all Sarawakians and Malaysians to be full, equal and free citizens of this land entitled to all the fundamental rights promised when this nation was founded and enshrined in the constitution, including freedom of religion, rule of law, human rights, good governance, high quality of life and a just and prosperous society! Continue reading “Wind of Change blowing strong and hard in Sarawak –Sarawakians should write “416” in golden letters on Saturday as latest addition to the political lexicon of numbers of “520”, “308” and ”516” as powerful symbols in the quest for political change in Malaysia”

The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must be warned that he should not discredit the concept of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), which is an important device to establish government transparency, integrity and good governance, as by setting one to serve dishonourable and selfish political objectives as into the Carcosa sex video tape scandal.

Under the Barisan Nasional, public confidence in more and more key national institutions and concepts have plunged to unprecedented lows, whether it be the judiciary, the elections commission, the police, the anti-corruption agency.

All efforts by Najib under his 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) in the past two years had failed to check the rot as things have got worse instead of better.

For instance, in a matter of two years, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has proved to be an even greater failure than its predecessor, the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in securing public confidence in its efficiency, independence and professionalism in combating corruption, particular the “grand corruption” of political “sharks” and their cronies despite getting more powers, funds and staffing from Parliament.

Now, Malaysians don’t even trust the MACC with their personal safety after the scandalous tragedies of Teoh Beng Hock who fell to his death from the 14th floor of MACC headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16,2009 and Ahmad Sarbani Mohamad who fell to his death from the third floor of MACC office in Jalan Cochrane, Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

It will a real national tragedy if the RCI concept is discredited because it is abused to serve dishonourable political objectives to attack opponents in the political arena, as in the Carcosa sex video tape scandal, instead of serving national or public purpose. Continue reading “Warning to Najib not to discredit RCI by setting one to serve dishonourable and selfish political objectives and challenge to set up 5 RCIs on pressing issues of public importance”

By Iraiputtiran

Open letter to Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin

You, Sir, are becoming a complete embarrassment to this country. If Interlok has given anyone an opportunity to prove anything at all, then probably it has given you the best chance to expose your Umno NEP intellectuality.

From the very beginning, the issue with Interlok has been very clear. It was a case of an unsuitable book and wrongly chosen without a thorough analysis. Or otherwise, it was deliberately chosen with the ill-intention of poisoning innocent young minds in schools with the venomous agenda of Umno racism and Umno supremacy.

The book – which Indians were the first to object to (infuriated as they are by the vilification of their community from the demeaning portrayal of Indian characters throughout the novel) – is also being rejected by non-Indians, who have begun to see the inappropriateness of the book as a major public exam material.
Continue reading “Interlok: Your God in capital letter, my god in lower case”

By Kee Thuan Chye
malaysiandigest.com
04 April 2011

IN their stand-off against the Government over the Bible issue, the Christians have won. Especially those in Sabah and Sarawak. Not only will the Bible in any language, including Bahasa Malaysia, be allowed to be imported; it can now be printed locally and in the indigenous languages of the Sabah and Sarawak natives. This shows that when you stick to your guns, you’ll get what is rightfully yours. In this case, the right to practise your religion freely, as is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.

The Christians have to be admired for standing up and not giving in. But lest they think they had God, Najib Razak and Idris Jala on their side, they might do well to realize that what decided the issue in their favour and even beyond their wildest expectations was obviously the upcoming Sarawak state elections.

This is a politically expedient decision through and through. Otherwise, it would not have been made at such super speed. Prime Minister Najib desperately wants the Christian vote in order for his coalition to win big in Sarawak. The outcome of the state elections there could be a harbinger of the next general election. He needs a morale booster. He cannot afford a break in Barisan Nasional’s (BN) momentum after its recent spate of by-election victories. He wants to keep up the public perception – no doubt as advised by his well-paid public relations consultants – that Malaysian support for BN is returning. He also wants to ensure that Sarawak remains a safe deposit for BN. And Sabah, too, where the Christian populace, like that in Sarawak, is substantial. Continue reading “The Christians Win, But For How Long?”

by Hazlan Zakaria | Apr 4, 11
Malaysiakini

The youth wing of the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) today rejected outright the government’s 10-point proposal to appease Christians in Sabah and Sarawak over restrictions on the publication and import of the Bible.

The movement made this known in a tweet this morning:

“Say NO to 10-pointers. Malaysian Christians want FULL FREEDOM, FULL RIGHTS to practise their faith.”

Contacted by Malaysiakini, CCM youth secretary Daniel Chai explained: “We don’t agree with the suggestions because they represent no firm commitment from the government. We shall continue to observe and see how things develop.” Continue reading “Bible impasse: CCM youth reject 10-point proposal”

The Malaysian Insider
April 04, 2011

APRIL 4 — All the Christians had asked was for Putrajaya to prove its sincerity over the Alkitab issue. And the government failed the first test.

In the space of two days, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the 10-point solution announced by Datuk Seri Idris Jala last Saturday was not final.

“We’re still in the middle of negotiations. Nothing is finalised yet,” Hishammuddin told The Malaysian Insider. Continue reading “Who speaks for the government?”

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 03, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 — In Sarawak and peninsular Malaysia, Christian clerics greeted with caution Putrajaya’s latest 10-point formula to resolve the bible impasse, saying action alone — and not words — can convince the community the pledges will be honoured.

Kuching-based Anglican bishop, Bolly Lapok, said he was surprised by the apparent generosity and sensitivity of the federal government’s latest overture to the Christian community’s 30-year-old-dilemma.

“The Christian community here welcomes it even though it is just an ointment for a symptom,” he told The Malaysian Insider today.

In its 10-point resolution released last night, the Cabinet through its minister Datuk Seri Idris Jala, assured the huge Bumiputera Christian population in Sarawak and Sabah they are free to bring in and use their bibles in Malay as well as in indigenous languages; and that no restriction will be applied.

Jala also said that the bible can now be printed locally in any language, including in Iban, Kadazan-Dusun and Lun Bawang.

Lapok said he was heartened to see the federal government showing commitment to resolve long-standing interfaith disputes.

“It’s an assurance, but we have been given such assurances before,” he said, and noted with concern another set of rules for believers in peninsular Malaysia, requiring the holy books here to be stamped with the words “Christian Publication” and a cross on the cover. Continue reading “Christians want Putrajaya to prove sincerity over Alkitab”

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 02, 2011

The government has retracted all conditions previously imposed on the use of the Alkitab. — File picKUALA LUMPUR, April 2 – Faced with an unyielding Christian community days ahead of a crucial state poll in Sarawak, the federal government has retracted all conditions previously imposed on the use of Malay bibles there, but appear to have separate rules for believers on the other side of the South China Sea.

The Cabinet, through its Christian minister, Datuk Seri Idris Jala, offered today a new list of suggestions to put an end to the month-long stand-off, in a bid to head off a possible backlash against the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in Malaysia’s biggest and most Christian state on April 16.

Nearly half the state’s one million population is Christian. Continue reading “Putrajaya backs down over Alkitab for Sabah and Sarawak”

By Reverend Dr. Thomas Philips | MCCBCHST President

It is with great disgust and disbelief that we Malaysians were regaled over the last few days with the graphic narration of the existence and viewing of a 21-minute sex video to a select few masterminded and acknowledged by a trio under the pseudonym ‘Datuk T’.

The Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism wishes to register its utter horror and sheer disgust at the despicable methodology devised by the unscrupulous and disgruntled trio. Their aim in publicly humiliating our elected Opposition Leader of Parliament offends the sensitivities
of decent people no matter to what race or religion they belong to.

This sad sordid episode, once again, brings the nation to prominence for the wrong reasons. Over the last few decades we have been treated to and numbed by numerous financial scandals, social scandals and political scandals committed by those supposedly dedicated to leading our citizens through ‘leadership by example’. This latest blue video clip to slander a fellow Malaysian, albeit a Muslim MP, is viewed by our members with great concern and revulsion. This particular exposure at this juncture of our developing history, now, has the rare honour of achieving the coveted “Mother of all Moral Scandals” perpetrated by titled personalities and so-called leaders.
Continue reading “MCCBCHST – Utter horror and sheer disgust over scandalous sex video”

On Sunday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak claimed success in its first annual report of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) particularly in the six pillars or National Key Result Areas (NKRAs).

All these NKRAs whether in fighting corruption or reducing crime can be challenged but one NKRA which the Najib administration has indisputably achieved is the plunge of Malaysian politics to the lowest and dirtiest gutter level in the nation’s history.

The lowest and dirtiest gutter politics was reached in the shameful and despicable Carcosa Sri Negara sex videotape screening scandal which has been condemned by all right-thinking Malaysians.

The Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has described it as the “mother of all moral scandals” perpetrated by titled personalities and so-called leaders.
Continue reading “The “mother of all moral scandals” perpetrated by titled politicians and so-called leaders”

by NH Chan
The Malaysian Insider
(loyarburok.com)
March 27, 2011

MARCH 27 — In the Sun on Monday, March 21, 2011 I read with dismay about how insensitive the Barisan Nasional government is of the religion of other people. It reads:

Stamping desecrates Bible, say Christian federation

By Karen Arukesamy

PETALING JAYA: As far as the Christian community is concerned, they will not accept the 35,100 Bahasa Malaysia Bibles after the government imposed new conditions for their release from Port Klang and Kuching port.

Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) chairman Bishop Ng Moon Hing said in a statement that the new requirement that the Malay language Bibles are stamped means they have been desecrated [meaning ‘to treat something sacred with violent disrespect’].

He said Christians could not accept the released Bibles which have now been stamped with a serial number, official seal and the words ‘… for the use of Christians only, by order of the Home Ministry’.

What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander is a well known proverb. So how would the minister feel if someone were to desecrate the Quran? The desecration of the Bible clearly shows that our government does not respect the religions of others in multi-racial Malaysia.

Are the rest of us — who are not born a Muslim because we are not Malays — second class citizens? It certainly looks that way to us who are the rest of the people of this nation. Continue reading “Bible desecration shows puerile insensitivity”

By Sheridan Mahavera
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 26, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 — When 3,000 Christians turned up for a prayer rally in Kuching this week it sent ripples running through Petrajaya, where gleaming structures house the Sarawak state government that is facing elections next month.

In a Christian-majority state where there has been little in the way of religious tension, the prayer rally was an unusual event.

It was a protest against the establishment which Christians have associated themselves with in the state.

The unhappiness with the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is palpable among Christians all over the country. But for it to be become so apparent in Sarawak is worrying BN politicians even in Putrajaya.

Through conversations with ordinary Christians, church officials and Christian Barisan Nasional supporters, a consensus emerged that though the dispute gnawed at their hearts, it would not tilt election results.

For now.

The prayer rally on March 23 has challenged that conclusion. Continue reading “In Sarawak, a Christian groundswell”

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 25, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — A fever has broken out over Putrajaya’s handling of the Alkitab row that appears to have split multicultural Malaysia into two distinct camps — Muslim and non-Muslim — as the nation readies for crucial polls in Sarawak, its biggest Christian state.

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) issued a strongly worded statement today accusing the Najib administration of riding roughshod over religions other than Islam when it imposed conditions for the release of 35,000 Malay bibles seized from Port Klang and Kuching.

“This means that the Alkitab (Bahasa Malaysia version) is now considered a restricted item and ‘the Word of God’ has been made subject to the control of man,” it said, citing the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) in the latter’s previous attempt to free the bibles.

CFM is the umbrella body that represents over 90 per cent of churches here.

In a series of news statements that started earlier this month, the Christian organisation denounced the Najib administration for defacing its holy books with the home ministry’s official seal, an act it said amounted to desecration.

“Does our current prime minister wield any authority? And if he does not, who does?” the interfaith council demanded of Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“We also vehemently oppose the present line of action being pursued,” it said in solidarity with the Christian community. Continue reading “Who next after Christians, questions non-Muslim interfaith council”

By Thomas Lee

Although the April Fool’s Day is still a week away, a deputy federal minister from Sarawak has already come out with a “foolish” statement.

Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum was reported as saying that the Christians in Sarawak are “foolish” to hold protest prayer vigils against the way the Barisan Nasional regime is violating the rights to freedom of religion with its detention of thousands of copies of the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible, and imposing certain conditions for their release.

Joseph, who calls himself a Christian, has said that if the Christians “come out and say that we want the Bibles, they will get it” and that “If they want to make fools of themselves, we will not respond,” whatever that means.

Joseph, the federal deputy minister for information communication and culture, was commenting critically on a series of prayer vigils that the Sarawak Christians are holding to seek divine help and intervention in facing the constitutional violation of their religious rights.
Continue reading “Who’s the fool?”

By P Ramakrishnan | President of Aliran

It is rather difficult to understand how our Muslim friends can be so easily influenced which may result in their straying away from their sacred religion. Any notion that this may be the case insults the intelligence and the very faith of the Muslims.

Any suggestion alluding to this possibility gives the impression that all the daily vigorous religious programmes over radio and television, the numerous courses conducted to explain and strengthen their faith in Islam, the many religious classes and the daily five-time compulsory prayers, the existence of mosques easily accessible to the faithful and the Friday sermons, are a failure. This is absolutely wrong and ridiculous.

I was a product of a mission school – so were my many Malay friends of that period. The Lord’s prayers were part of the weekly school assembly ritual. Even to this day we – Muslims and non-Muslims – remember the Lord’s prayers. In fact some of my Malay friends even say “Amen” at the end of a speech whenever our classmates meet up. This did not in any way indicate that they are not steadfast in their faith. No one has renounced their religion to embrace Christianity.
Continue reading “Isn’t religion a sacrosanct right of a community?”

The two unreasonable and unacceptable conditions for the release of the 35,100 copies of Bahasa Malaysia Bible, Alkitab – each copy should be stamped “For Christians only” and each copy should carry a serial number – should be withdrawn by the Barisan Nasional government immediately as they smack of discrimination at their worst and will expose Malaysia to international ridicule, scorn and condemnation.

In less than 24 hours, the goodwill which the Najib administration had hoped to generate from the release of the 35,100 copies of Alkitab – 5,100 copies in Port Klang and 30,000 copies in Kuching Port – had been dissipated not only by the two unreasonable and unacceptable conditions, but the most ham-fisted way and trigger-happy manner in implementing them.

The Bible Society of Malaysia, the importer of the consignment of 5,100 Alkitab impounded at Port Klang for about two years, has protested at the “defacement” and “violation” of the Bahasa Malaysia Bibles as it has been informed that the scriptures have been stamped with the words “Al Kitab Berita Baik ini untuk kegunaan penganut agama Kristian sahaja” (‘This “Al Kitab Berita Baik’ is only for the use by Christians only”) and the Home Ministry had stamped spaces for the serial numbers into the Bibles.
Continue reading “Two unreasonable and unacceptable conditions for the release of the 35,100 copies of Bahasa Malaysia Bible should be withdrawn immediately”