Archive for category Religion

Malaysia is the only OIC country which celebrates the religious festivals of four major religions which makes it specially suited to be a role model for the world for inter-ethnic, inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilisation dialogue, understanding, tolerance, and harmony

(Versi BM)

Tomorrow Buddhists in Malaysia celebrate the Vesak Day to commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Gautama Buddha.

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The Rulers, led by the Yang di Pertuan Agong and the Sultans of Johore and Selangor, have set a good example to all Muslims in Malaysia in wishing “Merry Christmas” to Christians in Malaysia for the country to be a global example of a plural nation where there is unity, understanding and harmony among the different religions in the country, consistent with Islam as the official religion of the country

The Rulers, led by the Yang di Pertuan Agong and the Sultans of Johore and Selangor, have set a good example to all Muslims in Malaysia in wishing “Merry Christmas” to Christians in Malaysia for the country to be a global example of a plural nation where there is unity, understanding and harmony among the different religions in the country, consistent with Islam as the official religion of the country.

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Form a commission of Islamic and non-Islamic experts to report on whether there are political parties promoting Islamophobia and the problem of Islamophobia and the phobias of other religions in Malaysia

(Versi BM)

PAS President, Hadi Awang, accused the DAP of promoting Islamophobia.

The PAS publication Harakah today published an article headlined “Dasar secular DAP dan liberal PKR mewujudkan Islamophobia”.

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I have never suggested that Oktoberfest be made a national holiday when I asked whether the PAS position on Oktoberfest is now the Ismail Sabri government position

(Versi BM)

I have never suggested that Oktoberfest be made a national holiday when I asked whether the PAS position on Oktoberfest is now the Ismail Sabri government position.

A website, Malaysia Today, carried my statement on the Oktoberfest with the heading: “Oktoberfest Should Be Declared A National Holiday” Read the rest of this entry »

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Prime Minister to be asked a Ministerial question tomorrow whether Idris Ahmad’s position on the Oktoberfest is the government’s official position, and if so, when the Cabinet took the decision

(Versi BM)

I have given notice to ask the Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri, a Ministerial question in Parliament tomorrow whether the position on the Oktoberfest as reflected in Idris Ahmad’s reply in Parliament last month was the Ismail Sabri government’s official position, and if so, when the Cabinet took the decision.

The question for Ismail Sabri’s answer during Ministerial question time is:
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The Ismail Sabri government has violated the nation-building principles and polices of the nation’s founding fathers enunciated in the Constitution and Rukun Negara by claiming that it is now opposed to Octoberfest

(Versi BM)

The Ismail Sabri government has violated the nation-building principles and policies of the nation’s founding fathers as enunciated in the Malaysian Constitution and Rukun Negara by claiming that it is now opposed to Octoberfest.

This is not the policy of the government fo 65 years. Read the rest of this entry »

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Ismail Sabri should meet with MCCBCHST to clear the air on plans to enact a new law targeting non-Muslims

The Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri should meet with the Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taosim (MCCBCHST) to clear the air on plans to enact a new law targeting non-Muslims.

The MCCBCHST has said that the statements made by Deputy Islamic Affairs Minister Ahmad Marzuk Shaary on the new law had caused “great anxiety” for non-Muslims and urged the Prime Minister to clear the air on the issue. Read the rest of this entry »

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The first month of 2021 has torn Muhyiddin’s New Year Message into smithereens and turned his five priorities for an integrated Covid recovery into dead promises

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

The first month of the year 2021 has torn the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s New Year Message into smithereens and turned his five priorities for an integrated Covid recovery into dead promises.

His first priority to “improve public health through the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines with the launch of a nationwide vaccination programme” had been pulverised by two events:
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Integration of public and private hospitals next week most welcome as a first step towards an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

I welcome the announcement of the Health Director-General Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah that the Health Ministry aims to begin integrating public and private hospitals to treat serious cases of Covid-19 by next week, as it is the first step towards an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic which we should have adopted some ten months ago.

Now that we have started on this process to ensure that we can emerge on top in the war against the Covid-19 epidemic, Malaysia must widen the scope and magnitude of this process to include key players in the private sector – the political parties, the NGOs and the civil society, the SMEs, the corporate sector and even the investors – as well as the immediate convening of a Special Parliament on the Covid-19 pandemic to provide a platform for such a strategy and approach. Read the rest of this entry »

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Is PAS leadership prepared to reprimand Sanusi Md Nor for making rude insensitive, unacceptable racial slur in a plural society when using the toddy analogy against critics over the demolition of Hindu temple?

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

Is the PAS leadership prepared to reprimand the Kedah Mentri Besar and PAS Kedah Assemblyman for Jeneri, Sanusi Md Nor for making rude, insensitive, unacceptable racial slur in a plural society when using the toddy analogy against critics over the demolition of a Hindu temple in Kuala Kedah?

Has the PAS leadership no concept of right and wrong or just and unjust? Read the rest of this entry »

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It was kakistocracy in Malaysia at its worst – with three examples yesterday especially assigning observers to tellers during parliamentary division voting which is a declaration that Members of Parliament in Malaysia cannot be trusted to carry out simple tasks.

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

It was kakistocracy in Malaysia at its worst – with three examples yesterday especially assigning observers to tellers during parliamentary division voting which is a declaration that Members of Parliament in Malaysia cannot be trusted to carry out simple tasks.

This assignment must be the first of its kind in Commonwealth Parliaments but it sends out the wrong messages, firstly, that MPs cannot be depended upon to carry out simple tasks; and secondly, which is more serious, that MPs cannot be trusted at all! Read the rest of this entry »

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Malaysia can learn an inter-faith lesson from Germany where a Berlin church hosted Muslim prayer to illustrate how communities can be more closely-knit in a coronavirus world

Malaysia can learn an inter-faith lesson from Germany where a Berlin church hosted Muslim prayer to illustrate how communities can be more closely-knit in a coronavirus world.

This happened when a church in Berlin helped a nearby mosque to comply with social distancing guidelines by hosting Friday prayers.

Places of worship re-opened earlier this month in Germany but worshippers must maintain a minimum of distance from one another of 1.5 metres (five feet).

Berlin’s Dar Assalam mosque, which had hundreds of Muslims on Fridays, could only accommodate 50 people at a time. Read the rest of this entry »

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Incendiary and irresponsible statements like the one issued by Gamis President Saifullah Baiduri or an ustaz claiming the Pakatan Harapan government is a communist government must not be given immunity and impunity if Malaysia is not going to be polarised to become ungovernable and destroyed by uncontrolled spread of lies, fake news and hate speech in the social media

Incendiary and irresponsible statements like the one issued by Gamis President Saifullah Baiduri must not be given immunity and impunity if Malaysia is not to be polarised to become ungovernable and destroyed by uncontrolled spread of lies, fake news and hate speech in the social media.

The authorities concerned must take firm and stern action against Saifullah for his incendiary and irresponsible statement that the bloody riots of May 13, 1969 may return as long as Dong Zong still exists.

Yesterday, there was a video on the social media of a speech allegedly by an ustaz who alleged that the Pakatan Harapan government has become a communist government and that communists have entered the Malaysian Cabinet and Government.

If Saifullah and the ustaz are given immunity and impunity to make such baseless, incendiary and irresponsible statements, promoting hate, distrust, bigotry and intolerance among Malaysians, Malaysia will never succeed as a united, democratic, progressive, prosperous and successful nation but will suffer the fate of a failed, backward, divided and broken country.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, December 25, 2019)

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Great challenge of Malaysian youths is to ensure that the goodwill, peace, tolerance and harmony of real-life Malaysia do not deteriorate to resemble the animosity, intolerance and extremism of social-media Malaysia

In my recent special message to the youths of Sarawak, especially those in the 16 – 25 age group, I picked as the first of three challenges their ability to save Malaysia to become a top world-class nation of unity, justice, freedom, excellence and integrity instead of becoming a divided, failed, rogue and kleptocratic state.

I said many would ask whether Malaysia had not been saved from such a trajectory in the historic and miraculous 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 and why was it necessary to save Malaysia from such a disastrous fate once again?

The answer to this question has not sufficiently understood, realised or appreciated by Malaysians.

The answer is Yes, Malaysia had been saved from the trajectory towards a divided, failed, rogue and kleptocratic state on May 9, 2018, but the mission of a New Malaysia where the country becomes a top world-class nation of unity, freedom, justice, excellence and integrity cannot be accomplished within one general election cycle but is a long-term struggle lasting a decade or more, especially after the devastation and depredations of the last government which won for Malaysia the infamous and ignominious appellation of a global kleptocracy.

There are people who wants to wipe out the historic and miraculous decision of May 9, 2018 and restore the country into the hands of those who preach an alliance of klepto-theocracy, through the untrammeled spread of fake news and hate speech to incite inter-racial and inter-religious polarisation and conflict, and who do not mind a big racial and religious conflagration in Malaysia which prompted some to openly talk about “rindu May 13”!

If Malaysians miss the present opportunity to reform Malaysia from a kleptocratic state to become a top world-class nation of unity, justice, freedom, excellence and integrity, there would not be a second chance again. Read the rest of this entry »

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Malaysian authorities should not allow foreigners to abuse their privileges of becoming a Permanent Resident to create inter-racial and inter-religious tension and conflict in the country

The Malaysian authorities should not allow foreigners to abuse their privileges of becoming a Permanent Resident to create inter-racial and inter-religious tension and conflict in the country.

It is most regrettable that Islamic preacher Zakir Naik had created mischief in his recent speech in Kota Bharu when he compared the Hindus in Malaysia to the Muslims in India and said that the former enjoyed more than 100% rights in Malaysia compared to Muslims in India.

He further said that it was unfortunate that Hindus in Malaysia, despite the benefits, are more loyal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi than to Mahathir.

Zakir Naik had cast baseless aspersion on the Malaysian Indian community who have made great sacrifices and contributions to the building of present-day Malaysia and made a most mischievous and deplorable attempt to create inter-racial and inter-religious tension, misunderstanding and conflict in Malaysia.

The Malaysian authorities should act on the most mischievous and irresponsible statement by Zakir Naik.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 12th August 2019)

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Urge Zakir Naik to act positively on Anas Zubedy’s Open Letter to leave Malaysia voluntarily

I have read Anas Zubedy’s Open Letter to Zakir Naik yesterday giving four reasons why the latter should leave Malaysia voluntarily, and I cannot agree more with Anas.

Anas first praised Zakir Naik’s stand on the problem of Sunni-Syiah divide, that there is no Sunni or Syiah divide in the Quran and the Prophet was neither.

Anas said: “Your understanding of the Quran on this matter is par excellence and exemplary!

“It would be most beneficial to Muslim Unity in Malaysia if you can advise, explain and convince many of our local Ulama, even some muftis – many of whom you have shared a stage with, to stop this schism.

“For your information, it is a usual practice in many mosques all over Malaysia to paint the Syiah’s in a bad light especially during Friday sermons. If you advise them, they may listen to you. They respect you and want your approval. God-Willing they will pay heed.” Read the rest of this entry »

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IGP’s assurance that police “doubling efforts” to find Indira’s daughter long overdue as this case is major blot on police professionalism

The assurance of the Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador that the police are “doubling efforts” to find Indira Gandhi’s daughter Prasana Diksa is long overdue as this case is a major blot on police professionalism.

Hamid said he was taking a personal interest in the case and hopes for “a happy ending.”

He said: “I can assure Malaysians that I am taking a personal interest in this. I want a happy ending to this episode.

“It’s very sad and touches the hearts of Malaysians. We are talking about a mother (separated) from her daughter.

“I have asked my men to double their effort. The team is working on something, but I cannot reveal what.”

Indira’s ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah took Prasana when she was just 11 months old, and unilaterally converted all his three children to Islam in 2009.

A lengthy legal battle between Riduan and Indira ensued, involving both the syariah and civil courts.

Indira’s two eldest children now live with her, but the whereabouts of Prasana and her father remain unknown.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Tuesday, 30th July 2019)

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Support for severest action against person or persons responsible for Facebook post insulting Prophet Mohammad or any religion in the country to send the unmistakable message that racial and religious harmony are top priorities of Pakatan Harapan government

I support the severest action to be taken against person or persons responsible for any Facebook post or any social media posting insulting Prophet Mohammad or any religion in the country to send the unmistakable message that racial and religious harmony are top priorities of the Pakatan Harapan Government.

A recent Facebook post insulting Prophet Mohammad had resulted in the lodging of hundreds of police reports, and the Police together with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) are trying to track down the account owner by the name of Wendy Loong.

It would be even more reprehensible and deplorable if the Facebook post insulting Prophet Mohammad or any religion is the work of agent provocateurs to create political issues, and the guilty persons must be brought to book for undermining racial and religious harmony in the country.

(Media Comment by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Saturday, 27th July 2019)

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Support for new legislation to curb hate speech particularly relating to religion

Sokong cadangan undang-undang baru untuk menangani ucapan berunsur kebencian berkaitan agama

Saya menyokong penuh cadangan daripada Timbalan Menteri Perumahan, Senator Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin untuk menggubal suatu undang-undang yang baru untuk menangani masalah percakapan yang berunsurkan kebencian di media sosial, terutamanya yang berkaitan dengan agama.

Contoh yang paling baru adalah kenyataan daripada seorang pemimpin NGO Muslim berkenaan isu Pos Malaysia mengeluarkan setem yang memaparkan Gereja St George di Pulau Pinang.

Pemimpin NGO tersebut telah menyiarkan ketidakpuasan hati beliau di Facebook, mengakatakan yang setem ini adalah salah satu lagi contoh Islam dibuli sejak Pakatan Harapan mengambil-alih pemerintahan Mei tahun lepas dan mengatakan kejadian ini boleh mengelirukan orang asing untuk berfikir yang Malaysia sudah menjadi negara Kristian, walhal setem itu sebenarnya sebahagian daripada siri setem rumah ibadat di Malaysia yang dikeluarkan buat pertama kalinya pada tahun 2016, dua tahun sebelum pentadbiran Pakatan Harapan.

Dalam Malaysia Baharu, agama sepatutnya menjadi satu kuasa penyatuan dan sepatutnya tidak ada ruang untuk ahli politik yang menyalahgunakan agama untuk mempertahankan kleptokrasi atau ektremisme dalam sebarang bentuk sekalipun.

Memandangkan Malaysia adalah sebuah komuniti yang mempunyai pelbagai fahaman agama, sepatutnya menjadi kepentingan utama untuk semua rakyat saling menghormati semua agama, malahan, perkara ini adalah prinsip yang pertama di dalam Rukunegara — Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan, yang berasaskan kepada prinsip asas perlembagaan dimana Islam adalah agama rasmi persekutuan dan semua agama dan kepercayaan lain boleh diamalkan dengan bebas dan harmoni tanpa sebarang diskriminasi.
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All Malaysians must uphold the Constitution to respect all religions in Malaysia but there should be no excessive punishments like the 10-year jail sentence for a social media holder for insulting Islam and Prophet Mohamad

Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada Ahad, 10 Mac 2019:

Semua rakyat Malaysia harus mendukung Perlembagaan dan menghormati semua agama di Malaysia, namun tidak perlu ada hukuman yang berlebihan seperti hukuman 10 tahun penjara terhadap seorang pengguna sosial media selepas didapati menghina Islam dan Nabi Muhammad

Semua rakyat Malaysia harus mendukung Perlembagaan dan menghormati semua agama di Malaysia, namun tidak perlu ada hukuman yang terlalu berat seperti hukuman 10 tahun penjara yang dijatuhkan oleh Mahkamah Sesyen Kuching terhadap seorang pengguna media sosial kerana menghina Islam dan Nabi Muhammad.

Seperti yang dinasihati Menteri Hal Ehwal Undang-Undang, Hanipa Maidin, pengguna media sosial berkenaan harus merayu keputusan yang dibuat Mahkamah Sesyen Kuching tersebut.

Kemunculan media sosial telah membawa rakyat Malaysia ke sebuah zaman baru, di mana apa sahaja yang diperkatakan mereka di media sosial tidak lagi menjadi satu hal yang peribadi, tetapi sebaliknya boleh dihebahkan secara pantas kepada masyarakat umum.

Rakyat Malaysia harus senantiasa sedar akan penggunaan dan penyalahgunaan media sosial, yang mana boleh membawa impak yang begitu besar.

Rakyat Malaysia, tidak kira orang Melayu, Cina, India, Kadazan, Iban atau Orang Asli harus membentuk sikap skeptikal dan sinis terhadap sebarang mesej yang diterima mereka di media sosial, tidak kira di Facebook, Twitter, Instagram atau Whatsapp, dan mempersoalkan setiap mesej tersebut: “adakah ini benar”, dan menyemak kesahihan mesej berkenaan sebelum berkongsi maklumat itu dengan orang lain. Read the rest of this entry »

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