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Alkitab – each copy should be stamped “For Christians only” and each copy should carry a serial number – should be withdrawn by the Barisan Nasional government immediately as they smack of discrimination at their worst and will expose Malaysia to international ridicule, scorn and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.
All attempts to impose the two unreasonable and unacceptable conditions, which make a total mockery of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s inclusive 1Malaysia policy, should stop immediately and the 35,100 copies of Alkitab in Port Klang and Kuching Port should be released without conditions whatsoever.
The Prime Minister should direct that immediate action should be taken to mitigate, if not to undo, the gross damage to Malaysia’s national and international image as a model multi-religious nation where constitutional guarantees of freedom of worship is fully honoured and respected as a result of the imposition and implementation of the two unreasonable and unacceptable conditions.
#1 by k1980 on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 11:51 am
After bn has won the 13 GE, there will be an extra stamp with the words “SULIT – Not to be opened on condition of death”.
#2 by undertaker888 on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 12:34 pm
..I can see pestilence and disease coming to penganut umno soon. they will be stricken like the Babylonians and the Egyptians in ancient time. wonder why is there a major revolution in the Arab world if their god is greater than the true God. probably God can’t stand Pharisees and Sadducees kind like penganut umno.
#3 by ReformMalaysia on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 1:15 pm
Perhaps the Home Ministry should stamp he Al-Quran and all Islamic publications with : “Untuk Penganut Islam Sahaja” on every single pages and stamped a serial number from Home ministry… too!
…….to show the consistency and fairness of the Barisan Nasional government!
#4 by yhsiew on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 1:28 pm
The two unreasonable conditions adopted by the BN government in releasing the bibles are the result of years of BTN brainwashing and propaganda.
With the exception of BN, I have not seen any other government in the world claim exclusive rights to use of religious terms.
#5 by yhsiew on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 1:54 pm
Malaysia near bottom in bank’s fund manager survey
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/malaysia-near-bottom-in-banks-fund-manager-survey/
========================================
Admit it, 1 UMNO, 1 Melayu, 1 Religion is not going to work.
#6 by dagen on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 2:12 pm
Pardon my ignorance. Hv not been following this issue closely enough. But did those idiots mention any law under which the seizure was first made.
Given that we are talking about umno, I dont think this point ever crossed their heads. However, when pushed for an answer almost certainly they would cite (wot?) sedition – inciting unrest. Something like that.
The point is this. They must have a reason for the action. Otherwise that action is illegal. They cannot thereafter find other legal grounds to justify, retrospectively, their initially illegal action. So if the seizure is without legal basis, the conditions too were imposed without legal basis. Ignore them.
Demanding their withdrawal somehow gives the public a wrong perception ie that the seizure and the conditions were imposed according to law.
#7 by Jamesy on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 2:27 pm
Wonder what would be like if the Quran were to be imposed:
1) “Al Quran ini untuk kegunaan penganut agama Islam sahaja” [untuk kegunaan semua bahasa di Malaysia] (“This ‘Al Quran’ is only for the use by Muslims only”) [to any language translation in Malaysia].
2) Cop Rasmi Jabatan
Dengan Perintah
Menteri Dalam Negeri
Tarikh
3) “Peringatan No. Seri: /5,100” [Home Ministry have to stamped spaces for the serial numbers into the Bibles].
What say you, Hishammuddin?
#8 by dagen on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 3:02 pm
One more condition jamesy:
4) Whoever, being a non-believer of islam jenis-umno, found in possession of a copy of this Al Quran shall be executed in situ immediately.
#9 by Loh on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 3:37 pm
Najib is the Prime Minister but the official in the Home Ministry has more power than Najib in not allowing the Bibles to be collected by the importers. Najib cannot reprimand that official without giving the impression that he is not among the 1Malays in civil service. Najib will maintain his elegant silence and hope that time will resolve the matter.
What had been the desire of the government to ban the use of the word Allah in 1986? One explanation is that the government did not want to let Muslims believe that they can still obtain Allah’s blessing without having to remain as Muslims. The interest is to retain the memberships of Muslims. The government surely have records of the number of persons who had attempted to leave the Muslims faith. They can be counted on the fingers in one hand. Why then did the Cabinet choose to ban the use of the term Allah by non-Muslims when the unlikely events were almost non-existent? If the Muslims in the Cabinet were concerned about number, was it not more appropriate for the Department of Islamic affairs to work towards strengthening the faith of Muslims in Islam rather than putting a blinker on all Muslims?
The government had made a wrong policy choice to solve an almost non-existent concern.
But the ban on the use of the world Allah might have other ulterior motives. Christians, particularly those in Sabah and Sarawak, like the Christian fraternity elsewhere in the world, recognize that Allah is the God Christian worship. By banning the term Allah, the government removes the God Christian look up to. That might bring about the outcome that Christians might have to change to a form of worship that would return to them Allah. That is an indirect religious compulsion.
If religions offer hope then Allah is the hope of Christians. In banning the use of the term Allah by Christians, the government takes away the hope and aspiration of Christian Malaysians. If Allah is of a limited quantity, the government might utilize the excuse to exercise quota system so that Malays would get their share. But Allah is not exhaustible, and remains intact even when Christians pray to Allah for His blessings. The blessings of Allah to whomever pray to Him would not be reduced to affect what are available for the benefit of others, why then did UMNO consider it proper to monopolize the term Allah for Muslims in the country? Besides, the term Allah is used by whoever cares to worship, outside the country. Thus there is no loss by the government or Muslims in Malaysia if Christians pray to Allah. There is no gain either since there is no left over of blessings by Allah for Muslims in Malaysia. The only satisfaction UMNO could derive is to see that Christians could be driven to the state of despair, and so they could be so weakened as to render them non-competitive. It ties in with the implementation of NEP where the quota system was put in place not because the government lacks resources to accommodate all qualified Malaysians to tertiary education; quota system is there to enfeeble non-Malays. So the Allah controversy is another form of enfeebling non-Malays exercise. The Non-Malay Enfeebling Policies is omnipresent.
#10 by yhsiew on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 6:06 pm
Malaysian Christian lawyer barred from Shariah courts
==================================
@@http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12768939
#11 by Loh on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 6:20 pm
///KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 17 — Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has defended his ministry’s stamping of 5,100 Malay-language bibles in Port Klang with its official seal, saying it was standard protocol and not done to “deface” the Alkitab.
The minister also said his men had no choice but to adhere to these procedures as the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) had wanted the Bibles to be released quickly.
“We stamped the bible based on amalan (practice) before… during Abdullah Badawi and even Tun Dr Mahathir’s time,” Hishammuddin told reporters today, referring to the two immediate past prime ministers.
Today, Hishammuddin appeared to suggest that the Christian community’s uproar over what they considered a violation of their holy book, to be manufactured.
“They wanted it to be released quickly… if they want to find fault they can find fault… you can even say the Bibles are smelly after being kept for so long, if you want to find fault (with everything),” the minister claimed.///– MalaysianInsider
Who dares to find fault with persons who have the right to hold up Keris and sign I Simply Arrest Minister?
It is not surprising that Kerismuddin defend his ministry’s staff. Question is was he instructed by Najib to do so. Did he instruct his official to stamp on the Bible? Is he defending his staff after the act of defiance.
The Bible society of Malaysia was at the mercy of the government. Najib instructed Minister Jala to announce the release, so that it happens before the Sarawak election. The Bible Society of Malaysia could not have forced the Home Ministry to do anything. If the officials in the Home Ministry was not happy with the release in a hurry, they should face Najib rather than let off their steam on the Bible.
If stamping the bible is a practice, it would mean that stamping has to be done on holy book. Does the Minister stamp Koran as a practice? If not, why not?
What was wrong cannot be made right simply by repeating. Kerismuddin quoted the practices during Mamakthir days hoping that this would silence Najib, or was it to let Najib support his actions.
#12 by ReformMalaysia on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 6:25 pm
………Excerpt from Malaysia Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 17 — Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has defended his ministry’s stamping of 5,100 Malay-language bibles in Port Klang with its official seal, saying it was standard protocol and not done to “deface” the Alkitab……
well it is standard protocol of Barisan Nasional government…. the only way Malaysians could change the “stupid ” protocol is to change the government….. Lets start from Sarawak…
#13 by Loh on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 7:56 pm
Correction on Mamathir’s hometown in India
I wrote the following in another thread:
When Mamakthir visited India while serving as Prime Minister, a small town beginning with the letter B, put up a banner with the words “welcome our son home”. I suppose he was Indian then while in India, and Malay when he returned to Malaysia.
Correction:
The town began with the letter C, not B. It is called Calicut, Kerela.
#14 by assamlaksa on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 11:43 pm
they had already stamp the Bibles, how to undo it? you can’t simply erase it. the ministry should replace them with brand new copies and the cost of purchasing new Bibles should come from the pocket of those responsible for stamping them including the Home Minister. the cost should not be borne by taxpayers.
#15 by assamlaksa on Thursday, 17 March 2011 - 11:58 pm
saw that a locally published Buddhist periodic has the words “UNTUK AGAMA BUDDHA SAHAJA BUDDHIST LITERATURE” printed in the front cover. i understand that such condition was imposed because certain contents in the periodic are in Malay.
#16 by baochingtian on Friday, 18 March 2011 - 12:16 am
Real terror la. Whatever they don’t like, they will just proceed to do anything they like without the owners’ permission & consent. After doing that, they said: nah, take it, u can hv it now. Huh??? Is this the chinese saying “xian xia shou wei qiang” ?
#17 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Friday, 18 March 2011 - 5:20 am
Malaysians are now treated to another circus show by Kerismuddin.
The chief clown, Kerismuddin himself, acts as the goon in the circus. He slaps Christians with a label and calls this slapstick comedy.
The Chief Clown says that Christians simply wants to find fault.
So Kerismuddin, the Chief Clown thinks Christians are sick, stupid and silly.
Yikes! Childish Clown. This is not his first circus show and this won’t be his last.
#18 by Taxidriver on Friday, 18 March 2011 - 11:50 pm
A glance at the face and you know this man is an IDIOT!
#19 by VincentW on Saturday, 19 March 2011 - 9:38 am
The only solution I see is for this minister to:
1. Apologize and Resign, being the honorable thing to do.
2. The Government pays a compensation to the affected importers to bring in the fresh batch of Malay Bibles.
Of course this most likely will not happen. Since they refuse to admit mistakes, and their egos are so big they never apologizes, and they are without honor – they will never resign.