The first few days of the 2014 New Year have provided much food for thought for Malaysians concerned about the future of the nation.
One of the question vexing Malaysians is whether UMNO has been transformed from a nation-building to a nation-destroying party with the Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin supporting protests outside Churches and the Selangor Umno Chief Datuk Noh Omar defending Selangor UMNO protesting against Christians.
In fact, the support given by Muhyiddin and Noh Omar to the illegal and unconstitutional Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) fully aided and abetted by the Police raises the serious question about sincerity, seriousness and commitment of UMNO leaders’ to fundamental and constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion for all Malaysians as well as 10-Point Solution to end the Bible controversy endorsed by the Cabinet in April 2011.
As there is no dispute that the Jais raid on the BSM and the confiscation of the 300 copies of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia and another 10 in Iban is a clear transgression of the 10-Point Solution arrived at between the Federal Government and the Christian community on April 2, 2011, which was reiterated in an official letter from the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to Bishop Ng Moon Hing, chairman of the Christian Federation of Malaysia on April 11, 2011, Muhyiddin and Noh Omar (who was a Cabinet Minister in 2011) must now declare whether they still support the 10-Point Solution or whether they want to dissociate themselves from the accord!
The reason why I had called on Najib to ask the first Cabinet meeting of the year on Wednesday to endorse the 10-Point Solution is because Cabinet Ministers like Muhyiddin and Noh Omar who endorsed it in April 2011 seemed to have changed their minds – which is the only explanation if they could now support the Jais’ raid of BMS and confiscation of the Malay and Iban Bibles which are both against the letter and spirit of the 10-Point Solution.
Let the Cabinet post-13 General Elections declare that it fully endorses unconditionally and unequivocally the 10-Point Solution adopted by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet in April 2011.
A clear-cut and unequivocal stand from Muhyiddin is also called for when he could stray so far from the letter and spirit of the 10-Point Solution as to give full support to the illegal and unconstitutional trespass by Jais and even to support protests outside Churches.
I want to draw Muhyiddin’s attention to Point 7 of the 10-Point Solution which states:
“7. A directive on the Bible has been issued by the ketua setiausaha (KSU) of the Home Ministry to ensure proper implementation of this cabinet decision. Failure to comply will subject the officers to disciplinary action under the General Orders. A comprehensive briefing by top officials, including the attorney-general (AG), will be given to all relevant civil servants to ensure good understanding and proper implementation of the directive.”
If disciplinary action must be taken against government officers who flout the 10-Point Solution, what should be the position of Cabinet Ministers who are not prepared to abide by the terms and conditions of the 10-Point Solution?
How many of the present Cabinet Ministers are prepared to announce publicly and unequivocally that they fully endorse the 10-Point Solution of April 2011?
Can Muhyiddin continue as Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister when he acts openly in defiance of the 10-Point Solution?
This is a question for Muhyiddin as well as Najib to answer.