By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 16, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — The Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) was told today that its shipment of 5,100 Malay bibles seized at Port Klang had already been stamped with the home ministry’s official seal without its prior permission.
“At 5pm today, KDN informed Bible Society of Malaysia that they had already chopped the bibles and asked Bible Society of Malaysia to come collect the bibles,” the importer said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider, calling the home ministry by its Malay initials.
“Bible Society of Malaysia is alarmed by the defacement of the Christian bible by non-Christians chopping it with words that the Christians have not accepted or agreed to,” it added.
The BSM had earlier today refused to collect its cargo of holy books that had been detained for the last two years after the home ministry imposed two conditions for their release.
The society was stunned that home ministry officials had moved to act on their own and only notified BSM after the act, and called on the ministry to immediately put a stop to it.
“As the bible is the holy book of the Christians, due respect should be given to it by consulting the relevant Christian representative organs before any external text is inserted into the bibles.
“Bible Society of Malaysia calls upon KDN to stop chopping the copies of the Alkitab detained at Port Kelang [sic],” it said in the statement issued today.
Church leaders have stressed that they cannot follow the conditions imposed by the ministry, as it would mean desecrating their own holy book.
A separate shipment of 30,000 Malay bibles worth RM78,000 imported by the Sarawak branch of global Christian group, The Gideons, was also seized at Kuching port.
It is not known if they have been subjected to the same treatment as BSM’s cargo.
The Sarawak importer had said it too was refusing to collect the Alkitab for the same reasons as the BSM.
The Malaysian Insider understands Sarawak home ministry officials had earlier contacted the importer to collect their holy books and carry out the stamping on their own.
Both importers are seeking advice from national church leaders on the matter.
BSM reminded the home ministry of its previous agreement made with the Christian community and repeated in an official letter dated December 22, 2005 “that Christians are permitted to have access to their holy book in the Bahasa Malaysia language provided that the sign of the cross and the words ‘Penerbitan Kristian’ are respectfully imprinted by Christians themselves”.
The society urged the home ministry to honour that agreement.
Yesterday, the importers each received a notice from the home ministry’s Publications Control and Quranic Text Division secretary, Datuk Zaitun Ab Samad, informing them of the two conditions imposed for the release.
The first requires the importers to directly stamp on the cover of each of the 35,000 copies the following words: “Peringatan: ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ ini untuk kegunaan penganut agama Kristian sahaja. Dengan perintah Menteri Dalam Negeri.”
[In English: “Reminder: This ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ is for the use of Christians only. By order of the Home Minister.”]
The cover of the Alkitab would be stamped with the department’s official seal and dated as well.
The second condition requires the importers to stamp a serial number on each copy, as if to demarcate copies from the released shipment and to enable the book to be traced back to the port of import.
#1 by boh-liao on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 12:40 am
Ha, ha, no 3rd condition meh? Sure aah? Like all copies must b stamped “Al la hu Ak bar & Ini Satu Lagi Projek Kerajaan BN, Undilah BN!” No meh?
Or must also stamp: “Dis is released as a result of d Indefatigable efforts of FLOM”
#2 by Thor on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 1:06 am
Holy cow!!!
These buggers are trying to proved that Christian god does’nt exist.
Well, Christian brothers!
In the name of Jesus Christ, let’s give them a boot in the 13th GE, once and for all.
Amen!!!
#3 by monsterball on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 1:42 am
These are not true Muslims.
These are political hypocrites.
I hope the Chrtistain file a report and sue these bullies.
#4 by yhsiew on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 6:57 am
“Malaysia’s National Human Rights Commission remained weak, while discrimination based on RELIGION and ETHNICITY continued to be a major concern,” – Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)
#5 by waterfrontcoolie on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 7:34 am
In spite of all the sloganeering all year round; just like the 10 metre anti-tsunami wall in Sendai, it appears to be an exercise REAL FUTILITY! If I am the preacher, I would certainly ask myself: What happen?? Have I really created a scenario of fearing one’s own shadow? looking at it in general: there is no doubt if this is self-inducing or the indoctrination process has really failed. It has really shut-up the mind from any venture!
#6 by k1980 on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 7:47 am
Jib: “Me so baik hati. Me chop on the covers only. Me did not chop on each and every page.”
Reminds me of the serial numbers being tatooed on the arms of the jews in the death camps so that they could be easily recognised should they managed to escape.
#7 by k1980 on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 7:54 am
Who was that mad American secretary of state who proclaimed malaysia as ” a model state”? Should seize her bible and stamp it with the words “FOR FOOLS ONLY”
#8 by undertaker888 on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 7:59 am
Let’s chop the sign of the beast 666 on the home minister’s forehead. and under the 666, a small print message – peringatan: al who-sin berita buruk – untuk penganut umno sahaja. by the way, he already looks like one even without the sign.
#9 by negarawan on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 8:05 am
This is reminiscent of what the Nazis did to the Jews by forcing them to wear an arm band with with word “Jude” or Star of David on it. UMNO is clearly practising religious discrimination against our constitutional guarantee of religious freedom. 1Malaysia my foot!
#10 by k1980 on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 8:09 am
I think the numbers “666” are already stamped on his rambutans…..Altantuyeh had seen them, so she was c4ed
#11 by undertaker888 on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 8:29 am
///666? are already stamped on his rambutans…//
I think you’ve mistaken . the 666 is formed by the curly hair on his rambutans.
#12 by baochingtian on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 8:56 am
Sarawakians, spread the words to your inland brothers and sisters of such an action by the current gomen. A good timing for PR to convince voters of making a change. Enuf is enuf! Truly absurd to impose serial no. on the bible. For what? Tracking and to account every copy goes to whom? So the gomen has the resource to check from one household to another to ensure no photostat copies and which serial no go missing? and Muslims cannot read to acquire knowledge of other religions? What’s wrong with that? Does it further confirm the view that the current gomen would not like the malaysian muslims to have and acquire wider spectrum of knowledge and so they can be easily controlled ?
#13 by baochingtian on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 9:06 am
If a muslim is able to read, he should recognise a bible and understand it’s for christians. Why go the extra mile to specify for whose usage? Does the home ministry has the right to impose such a restriction on the bible? Is this similar to stopping the spread of christianity in the country?
#14 by dagen on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 9:12 am
They are lower than monkeys. Worse than dogs. Stupidity cannot describe them. Retarded. Yes they all are. Plain retarded. All of those umno bustards.
They are in fact insulting muslim malaysians more than anyone else. They are saying that these people cannot read the malay language. Or think. And that they are not strong in their islamic faith.
#15 by boh-liao on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 9:15 am
Don’t hv high expectation of a breakthrough in d coming Sarawak state election
BN will reap d benefits of opposition parties killing each other in 3 or 4 corner fights
Dis is d reason Y UmnoB/BN dare 2 bully n suppress nonMuslims, no scare 1 mah
#16 by Thor on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 9:25 am
When some american threatened to burn the koran, muslims all over the world would codemn and some even would vowed to kill.
And back here in malaysia, the government is the one who’s defacing the bible so who’s going to condemn them?
#17 by boh-liao on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 9:49 am
How abt Koran? Got dis or no aah?
“Peringatan: Koran ini untuk kegunaan penganut agama Islam sahaja. Dengan perintah Menteri Dalam Negeri.”
#18 by Thor on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 9:54 am
And that’s the result of having low graded people as ministers and “kurang ajar” fellas to govern the country.
#19 by Winston on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 10:37 am
#18, And who put them there?
#20 by k1980 on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 11:55 am
#19 And who put them there?
See how many percent of bolehland’s christians voted for bn in 2008. If more than 50%, then the bibles should be banned.
#21 by chakde on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 11:59 am
this will not happen in boleh land
http://kosongcafe.blogspot.com/2011/03/singapore-walks-talk-on-meritocracy.html
#22 by baochingtian on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 2:11 pm
#19/20. Rural people, not the ones like u and I who read what’s flying in the cyberspace. How to get to these people? Kopitiam chat? 1-Malaysia kopi teh tarik talk? Recruit local informers and have weekly gatherings to tell tale, jz like in the chinese movie where there’s a story teller who tells interesting stories to the villagers…