RK Anand| April 1, 2013
Free Malaysia Today

Bishop Paul Tan is incensed over the video which shows MP Zulkifli Noordin belittling the Hindu faith and demands action from the ‘1Malaysia’ government.

KUALA LUMPUR: The video recording of a member of Parliament belittling the Hindu faith has prompted a Catholic priest to question the government’s double standard in dealing with such matters.

Bishop Paul Tan pointed out that the present ruling government had not hauled up any Muslim who uttered seditious words and made seditious gestures against those of other religions while it acted against those who stated unpleasant things about Islam.

The head of the Malacca-Johor diocese was responding to the video of Kulim Bandar Bahru MP Zulkifili Noordin who mocked how statues of Hindu deities could not prevent a flood in Masjid India here.

The video, which was uploaded on YouTube, had since gone viral.

Zulkifli is also the vice-president of Perkasa, whose president Ibrahim Ali had also earned the wrath of Tan when he called for the torching of Malay bibles that used the term Allah.

The bishop recounted how he had in the past called on the government to take action against both Ibrahim and Perkasa patron and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad over this issue.

“What sort of justice is this? It is no justice but bigotry which the Almighty God himself would be ashamed of,” he said.

“God sees, hears and knows everything. In spite of the fact that final justice is rendered by the Almighty God, we humans are not exempt from taking the right means to right what is wrong.

“Failure to do so is an immorality which must be punished,” he added.

Tan also quoted PKR vice-president N Surendran, who pointed out that Section 198 A of the Penal Code provided for the punishment of those who utter words which cause disharmony, feelings of enmity, hatred and ill-will on grounds of religion.

“Let his [Surendran’s] words ring in the ears of those who planned 1Malaysia,” said the Bishop, in reference to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

“Or is the 1Malaysia only a political slogan with self interests?” he asked.

Rising bigotry

Without any political interest, Tan said he would lend his support to the politicians and groups who called for action to be taken against Zulkifli, a lawyer by profession.

The latest video controversy had also cast doubts on whether Barisan Nasional would throw its support behind the ex-PKR leader in the coming polls.

Zulkifli quit the Anwar Ibrahim-led PKR after crossing swords with the leadership and since then had launched a smear campaign against the opposition party.

Although the Najib administration had stressed on the importance of fostering stronger racial and religious ties, bigotry appeared to be on the rise.

The prime minister had also been criticised for not acting or reprimanding the culprits, such as the likes of Perkasa, who seem to be above the law, leading some to claim that it was backed by Umno.

These controversies had also tainted Malaysia’s image in the international arena as being a moderate Muslim nation.