Archive for January, 2014
Was AG Gani Patail remiss in his duties in failing to carry out a comprehensive briefing of top government officials on the 10-Point Solution to resolve the Bible controversy which would have averted the Jais raid on BSM?
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Islam, Religion on Wednesday, 8 January 2014
It has been reported that the Selangor police have wrapped up their investigation against Father Lawrence Andrew over his allegedly seditious remarks on the “Allah” issue.
According to a report on Astro Awani, Selangor police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said that the investigation papers for the case will be submitted to the Attorney-General’s office as early as today.
The police chief also confirmed that the case is being investigated under Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948.
Including Andrew, the editor of Catholic weekly The Herald, a total of 99 individuals have had their statements recorded on the issue.
Malaysians are asking why the police acted so swiftly on the Father Lawrence case when it has as yet to act on the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and the confiscation of Malay and Iban Bibles, which were not only illegal and unconstitutional but clear violation of the 10-Point Solution endorsed by the Federal Cabinet in April 2011 to resolve the Bible controversy.
The Jais raid and the confiscation of the Malay and Iban Bibles would not have taken place if there had been good understanding and proper respect for the 10-Point Solution, both in letter and spirit, by both Jais and the Malaysian police. Read the rest of this entry »
Jais wrong as Allah ban only for Herald, not Bibles, say critics
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Islam, Religion on Wednesday, 8 January 2014
by V. Anbalagan
The Malaysian Insider
January 08, 2014
Selangor’s religious authorities were wrong to seize Malay and Iban language Bibles and must return them as the ban on using the word Allah is only for the Catholic weekly Herald, say lawyers and politicians.
They said the Bible, be it in any language, was never banned in Malaysia and as such, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) had no right to seize the holy books from The Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) last Thursday as the Allah issue only centred on the Herald case.
Human rights lawyer Andrew Khoo Chin Hock said the Court of Appeal ruling last October that barred Herald from using the word Allah had included Bibles in the 10-point solution endorsed by the federal Cabinet in 2011.
“So Jais’s raid and seizure has no basis at all because the 10-point solution covers the holy book,” Khoo told The Malaysian Insider, referring to the agreement that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government had made with the Christian community ahead of the Sarawak state election. Read the rest of this entry »
This is how Pakatan can win Johor
Posted by Kit in Elections, Johore, Pakatan Rakyat on Wednesday, 8 January 2014
Liew Chin Tong
Free Malaysia Today
January 7, 2014
Johor finds itself at the frontlines of a political battle like never before, and to go the distance, Pakatan must rethink and strategise comprehensively, covering all angles.
COMMENT
The biggest take away from the 2013 election is that Barisan Nasional no longer has any more fortresses or fixed deposits.
Pakatan Rakyat’s breakthrough in Johor signals the beginning of the end for the BN model of politics and economics. If Pakatan is able to capture Johor, then taking federal power will be possible.
In order to successfully replace the BN model in Johor, we must present our own credible new discourse of Pakatan’s approach towards politics and economics.
Johor is a shining example of the BN model. Since Independence, the Alliance model has cultivated a ruling class from all races.
Post 1970s, the survival of the BN model depended on Umno obtaining above 60% of the Malay vote, and – before 2008 – BN obtaining at least 40% of the Chinese vote. Read the rest of this entry »
Open Letter to PM and Cabinet – the first Cabinet meeting today should send out a clear and unmistakable message to end the drift and loss of leadership and direction to create an united, harmonious, just, competitive and great Malaysian nation
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Corruption, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat, Police, Prices on Wednesday, 8 January 2014
Open Letter to Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers
I am taking full advantage of the Age of Information Technology which enables the instant communication of information with information travelling at the speed of light
to pen this Open Letter to the Prime Minister and all Cabinet Ministers just before they start this morning their first Cabinet meeting of the New Year of 2014.
I urge the Prime Minister and Ministers to send out a clear and unmistakable message in their first Cabinet meeting to end the drift and loss of leadership and direction to create an united, harmonious, just, competitive and great Malaysian nation.
The Cabinet cannot do better than start their first meeting by discussing and digesting the question eloquently posed yesterday by a Good Samaritan in Malaysia, Tan Sri Robert Phang who asked “Why are we quarrelling over God?”
In faith, human will and intellect cooperate with grace
Posted by Kit in Constitution, nation building, Religion on Wednesday, 8 January 2014
– May Chee Chook Ying
The Malaysian Insider
January 06, 2014
Yesterday was an epiphany of sorts. It was our (my husband, daughter and I) first time at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes. Beautiful church, meaningful service that kept us rooted to the pew (I’m truly guilty of wanting to run out in the midst of some homilies, so help me, God!) and much, much, more than that – that picture of grace that greeted us outside the church.
Cameras were clicking away. As usual, the “roses” held court, but I did notice some “thorns” mingling around.
Kudos to Azrul Mohd Khalib and other coordinators of the “solidarity gathering” who managed to band together Malaysians of different religions and ethnicities to turn up at the church as early as 8am to be one with their Christian brothers and sisters.
This “In the Name of Allah” initiative is truly reminiscent of the one in Egypt where we saw Muslims protecting Christians during mass, and Christians forming a circle around their Muslim brethren while they prayed during protests.
All of you who turned up yesterday at The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, including Marina Mahathir, members of the Sisters of Islam and fellow Malaysians who are non-Christians, you have our utmost respect and thanks. Read the rest of this entry »
Some New Year pointers for Najib
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak on Tuesday, 7 January 2014
BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
January 07, 2014
Today is January 7, 2014. A week has gone by and it still seems like 2013 in Malaysia. Same old arguments, same old issues and same old solutions. No endless possibilities here.
It would appear that there is a pressing need to either change or widen the point of view from Putrajaya.
So here are some pointers for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as he takes on 2014, months after he won Election 2013 and the Umno presidency uncontested. Read the rest of this entry »
Why are we quarrelling over God?
Posted by Kit in nation building, Religion on Tuesday, 7 January 2014
— Tan Sri Robert Phang
The Malay Mail Online
January 7, 2014
JAN 7 — Happy New Year! I am sure that all Malaysians wish and pray that this year 2014 would be a better year than last year. But are our prayers in vain when we are so divided as a nation and we are so petty as to quarrel over God?
When we make prayers, we do so in the name of God by whatever name we call Him. We have done so without much problem in the past because to God belong all things in heaven and on earth. We have done so since the independence of Malaya and the founding of Malaysia. Our beloved Prime Minister teaches us to wave our finger to say 1 Malaysia and yet today we are like a nation tattered.
As an old man past 74 years who has seen our independence and formation of Malaysia, I am troubled by the fractious state that we are in today. Our leaders are so articulate, our government’s cabinet is filled with highly qualified people and yet all that they seem to be capable of is to shout out rhetorics. But these are just hallowed cries with no sincerity to resolve one simple thing that should bind us together – our love for God.
I was troubled when JAWI raided Borders Bookstore and charged a Muslim store manager for doing nothing more than selling books. I congratulated Nik Raina Nik Rashid for being brave enough to not yield to the oppression by JAWI. I congratulated Tan Sri Vincent Tan and his son Dato Robin Tan when they fought the Borders case and won. As testimony, Malaysians today hailed Nik Raina as one of 10 inspiring Malaysians. That is the power of the ordinary people – to discern from right and wrong. And yet what has become of our country’s leadership? Read the rest of this entry »
Challenge of BN/PR National Reconciliation Summit is for Barisan and Pakatan leaders to play the role of Peacemakers and Bridge-Builders to rebuild national unity sorely tested by upsurge of irrational racial hatred and religious intolerance
Posted by Kit in Mahathir, Malaysian Dream, nation building on Tuesday, 7 January 2014
I have been pressing for the convening of a National Reconciliation Summit of Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat leaders to rebuild national unity because the greatest challenge for all Malaysians today is peace-making and bridge-building as the nation-building process 50 years after the formation of Malaysia and 56 years after Merdeka have been sorely tested and tried by an upsurge of irrational racial hatred and religious intolerance in recent times.
Can Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat leaders rise up the challenge of the times and play the role as Peace-Makers and Bridge-Builders?
I believe so because I am confident that in the leadership of Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat there are sufficient men and women who are Malaysian patriots and nationalists first and last, and who are prepared to put national interests above partisan or personal selves as we share a common Malaysian Dream – the creation of a successful plural society where all her citizens are united as one people, rising above their ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic differences as the common ground binding them as one citizenship exceed the differences that divide them.
This is also the time for all Malaysians patriots and nationalists to step forward to play the role as Peace-Maker and Bridge-Builder to span the ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural divides in the country and to give life and meaning to the special characteristic of Malaysian plural nationhood – Unity in Diversity.
This was why my interest was piqued yesterday when I saw the following headlines of online news portals about the latest blog of former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad: Read the rest of this entry »
From the outside looking in
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, nation building, Religion on Tuesday, 7 January 2014
– Julian Tan
The Malaysian Insider
January 07, 2014
When it hit international news that “Malaysian Islamic authorities seized more than 300 Bibles from a Christian group in a raid last Thursday”, I found myself pegged at the centre of my lunchtime discussions with Cambridge colleagues from around the world.
“What’s happening in Malaysia?” inquired my Bengali friend, her eyebrows scrunched together in bemused curiosity.
I had just managed to peel open the plastic lid of some leftover pasta when I realised that all eyes were on me to explain the sad religious altercation that had transpired in my country – a country that spoke of moderation and unity, but in recent years, with almost meaningless banality.
“I… I don’t know,” I muttered under a debilitated sigh.
The truth was that I was tongue-tied, speechless about the raid.
The whole dispute seemed so ludicrous and absurd to the point that it felt surreal. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysians entitled to know after Cabinet meeting tomorrow whether Federal Government and BN-controlled State Governments have stopped all funding to extremist , racist and Malay supremacist group Perkasa
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 7 January 2014
It was inadvertently revealed a fortnight ago that the Federal Government had been funding the extremist, racist and Malay supremacist group Perkasa through various agencies like National Security Council (MKN), the National Civics Department (BTN) and the Special Affairs Department (Jasa), allowing it to spearhead a systematic campaign to incite racial hatred and religious conflict to attack Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia signature policy.
It must be admitted that the Perkasa campaign against the 1Malaysia campaign with the support of former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad had been quite successful, for in the seven months after the 13th General Elections on May 5, 2013, Najib has yet to enunciate or reiterate his 1Malaysia signature policy in any public platform.
Najib had continued the 1Malaysia gimmicry like Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia and 1Malaysia clinics, but he has studiously avoided all references to the 1Malaysia objective to create a Malaysia where Malaysians regard themselves as Malaysian first and race, religion, region and socio-economic status second.
Perkasa and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s “Malay first, Malaysian second” declaration seemed to have won the day in the Umno/Barisan Nasional government, to the extent that Perkasa even dare to talk publicly about the possibility of replacing UMNO in the future at its annual general meeting two weeks ago.
This was when in the exchange between Umno and Perkasa leaders over Perkasa’s threat to replace UMNO, it was inadvertently revealed that the government had been funding Perkasa in its series of anti-Najib activities and programmes. Read the rest of this entry »
All pain, no gain
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Law & Order, Najib Razak, Police on Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Dean Johns
Malaysiakini
Jan 3, 2014
Far from the analgesic or even anaesthetic effect he intended, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s claim in his New-Year message that he “feels the rakyat’s pain” served only to reinforce for most of us the fact that he is the rakyat’s pain.
In other words, Najib is the present-day prime example, principal promoter and very personification of the chronically painful BN regime.
And since the moment BN demonstrated the true depth of its contempt for the Malaysian people by presenting this pompous hypocrite with the nation’s premiership, he’s proven nothing but a pain and produced not a grain of gain.
Except, of course, to himself, his relatives, accomplices, cronies and others that his reign has kept aboard the BN gravy-train, while the rest of the country has been going steadily down the drain.
‘Drain’ being the operative word when it comes to Najib’s ‘management’ of Malaysia’s finances, of which untold billions have been stolen and illegally smuggled overseas, and further countless billions squandered on bribery, vote-buying and sundry other forms of corruption.
And ‘brain-drain’ being the most appropriate term for how Najib and his operatives have otherwise continued to prove the bane of ‘ordinary’ Malaysians, considering the steady decline in public education over which they have so preposterously presided, and their continued efforts to keep the people ignorant by denying them their constitutional right to a free and informative press.
In short, so far from feeling the people’s pain as he so piously feigns, Najib appears positively sadistic in his intent to inflict more of the same. Read the rest of this entry »
The preacher and the part-time PM
Posted by Kit in Islam, Mariam Mokhtar, Najib Razak, Religion, UMNO on Tuesday, 7 January 2014
by Mariam Mokhtar
Malaysiakini
Jan 6, 2014
Najib Abdul Razak: Entrepreneur. String-puller. Property speculator. Globe-trotter. Magician and part-time prime minister. Being the Malaysian PM is without doubt, a dream job.
Pampered while crossing the globe in luxury, dining at the finest restaurants, lounging in the best hotels and bedecking his spouse in the finest jewels.
The nation is on the cusp of another racial and religious conflict, but Najib is nowhere to be seen, or heard; a testimony to his expertise in performing the disappearing trick, he is the poor-man’s Tommy Cooper.
Be warned! Competition is fierce for this dream job. Although the job seems to be up for grabs every five years, just like a crooked race, the fix is in and the outsider always seems to win.
Today, when community tensions are simmering, and pro-Umno Baru NGOs are threatening Christians, Najib has again failed to censure the extremists. His head is stuck firmly in the sand, his lips are sealed together and he is hiding behind the extremist NGOs.
The recent troubles may appear to be a steep escalation in religious extremism, but they aren’t. The timing of the assault on the Christian community is critical. The Perak mufti’s intervention is revealing.
What we see is Umno Baru’s dirty politics at play. What appears to be a radical rise in extremism is an illusion being staged by pro-Umno Baru NGOs, and given excessive publicity by the mainstream media. Read the rest of this entry »
Polis sepatutnya menunjukkan rasa kesal secara bersungguh-sungguh kerana mendakwa gambar seorang lelaki yang dimuat naik dalam laman Facebook rasmi polis adalah gambar seorang anggota polis yang cedera ketika protes pada Sambutan Tahun Baru di Dataran Merdeka dengan menerapkan prinsip demokratik dalam menjalankan tugas memelihara kesejahteraan orang ramai dan bukan hanya kerajaan
Sememangnya wajar pihak polis meminta maaf kerana tersilap mendakwa gambar seorang lelaki yang dimuat naik dalam laman Facebook rasmi polis adalah gambar seorang anggota polis yang cedera semasa bertugas ketika protes anti kenaikan harga pada Sambutan Tahun Baru di Dataran Merdeka.
Laman Facebook rasmi polis telah memuat naik gambar seorang lelaki tidak berbaju dan cedera di kepala yang disangka sebagai seorang pegawai polis yang bertugas ketika perhimpunan anti-kenaikan harga pada malam Selasa yang lalu.
Gambar itu disangkal oleh banyak pengguna internet yang mengatakan bahawa ia tidak konsisten dengan kenyataan polis sendiri bahawa tiga pegawai polis yang bertugas telah cedera di bahagian tangan.
Pihak polis telah mengakui kesilapan tersebut dan meminta maaf atas ketidakpekaan memuat naik sekeping gambar yang disangka sebagai anggota polis yang cedera semasa menjalankan tugas di malam ambang tahun baru.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Najib perlu bertindak segera untuk menghentikan sebarang serbuan haram dan bertentangan dengan perlembagaan oleh pihak berkuasa Islam ke atas agama lain kerana kegagalan berbuat demikian akan menjejaskan mesej yang beliau sampaikan bersempena perayaan Krismas dan Tahun Baru
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Najib Razak, Religion on Monday, 6 January 2014
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak perlu bertindak segera untuk menghentikan sebarang serbuan haram dan bertentangan dengan perlembagaan oleh pihak berkuasa Islam ke atas agama lain kerana kegagalan berbuat demikian akan menjadikan mesej yang beliau sampaikan bersempena perayaan Krismas dan Tahun Baru hilang makna dan hilang kredibiliti.
Dalam tempoh kurang daripada sepuluh hari selepas Najib menyampaikan dua ucapan Krismas – satu dalam majlis Hi-Tea Krismas rasmi di Kuala Lumpur dan satu lagi dalam majlis Rumah Terbuka Krismas peringkat kebangsaan di Pulau Pinang – mesej kesederhanaan, keharmonian dan kerukunan hidup antara kaum telah dinafikan menerusi serbuan haram oleh Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) dan polis ke atas premis Persatuan Alkitab Malaysia dan rampasan sebanyak 350 naskhah Alkitab berbahasa Melayu dan Iban.
Dalam ucapannya, Najib menyebut bahawa lebih baik untuk Muslim dan Kristian tidak berbalah tentang perbezaan di antara mereka, sebaliknya mencari titik persamaan “untuk memelihara keamanan, keharmonian dan kestabilan negara,” sambil menggesa kedua-dua kelompok itu untuk memahami sensitiviti kedua-dua agama supaya masing-masing tidak tersentuh.
Read the rest of this entry »
Cadangan pertemuan antara para pemimpin tertinggi Barisan Nasional dan Pakatan Rakyat untuk membincangkan agenda dan pelan induk Perpaduan Nasional bagi membina semula perpaduan
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, nation building, Pakatan Rakyat, Sabah, Sarawak on Monday, 6 January 2014
Tahun ini kita akan menyambut ulangtahun ke-50 pembentukan Malaysia yang telah berlangsung pada 16 September 1963.
Amat malang, menyedihkan, dan mengejutkan apabila ancaman terbesar terhadap perpaduan dan solidariti Malaysia sepanjang tempoh 50 tahun pembentukannya timbul pada tahun ini – serbuan haram dan bertentangan dengan perlembagaan oleh Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) ke atas Persatuan Alkitab Malaysia (BSM) serta rampasan ke atas Alkitab berbahasa Melayu dan Iban kelmarin.
Tidak keterlaluan kalau disebut bahawa serbuan haram dan bertentangan dengan perlembagaan oleh Jais serta rampasan ke atas Alkitab berbahasa Melayu dan Iban itu sebagai tamparan terhebat terhadap perpaduan dan proses pembentukan negara Malaysia yang telah berlangsung selama 50 tahun serta mampu menimbulkan perpecahan, pertelagahan dan malah menggoyangkan negara.
Saya setuju sepenuhnya dengan Persekutuan Kristian Malaysia (CFM) bahawa serbuan dan rampasan ke atas Alkitab berbahasa Melayu dan Iban itu mencabul kebebasan beragama para penganut Kristian yang dijamin oleh perlembahaan dan merupakan “serangan agresif” terhadap hubungan antara agama di Malaysia.
Read the rest of this entry »
Apakah Umno telah berubah daripada sebuah parti pembina negara menjadi parti pemusnah negara dengan sokongan Muhyiddin terhadap protes di luar gereja dan Noh Omar mempertahankan protes Umno Selangor terhadap Kristian?
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Corruption, Education, Police, Prices on Monday, 6 January 2014
Peristiwa-peristiwa yang berlaku pada beberapa hari pertama tahun baru 2014 membuatkan rakyat Malaysia berfikir tentang masa depan negara ini.
Salah satu persoalan meresahkan rakyat Malaysia ialah sama ada Umno telah berubah daripada sebuah parti pembina negara menjadi parti pemusnah negara dengan sokongan Muhyiddin terhadap protes di luar gereja dan Noh Omar mempertahankan protes Umno Selangor terhadap Kristian.
Pada hakikatnya, sokongan yang diberikan oleh Muhyiddin dan Noh Omar terhadap tindakan haram dan bertentangan dengan perlembagaan oleh Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) yang menyerbu Persatuan Alkitab Malaysia (BSM) dengan bantuan penuh Polis membangkitkan persoalan serius tentang keikhlasan, keseriusan, dan komitmen para pemimpin Umno terhadap jaminan asas kebebasan beragama yang diberikan oleh perlembagaan untuk semua rakyat Malaysia, selain Penyelesaian 10 Perkara yang disahkan oleh Jemaah Menteri pada April 2011 untuk mengakhiri kontroversi Alkitab.
Read the rest of this entry »
Dark clouds hovering over SEA democracy
Posted by Kit in Bridget Welsh on Monday, 6 January 2014
DR BRIDGET WELSH | 3:22PM Dec 31, 2013
Malaysiakini
COMMENT As 2013 draws to a close, it has not been a good year for democracy in South-East Asia. Recent news has riveted on the protests in Thailand, where those dissatisfied with the current leadership of Yingluck Shinawatra and her amnesty provisions have taken to the streets rather than opt for a solution through elections.
Throughout the year, however, there have been worrying signs that the increase of authoritarian practices, intolerance, failings in governance and discontent from the public at large have been on the rise in the region.
While the Philippines celebrated one of the fairest and non-violence legislative elections in its history in May, two of the countries in the region experienced among the worst elections in their history.
Read the rest of this entry »
Five national crisis scorching the country should top the agenda of a National Reconciliation Summit of BN and PR leaders
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Corruption, Education, Police, Prices on Monday, 6 January 2014
For ten days between the Christmas National Open House 2013 in Penang on December 25 and the 2014 New Year monthly morning assembly of civil servants in the Prime Minister’s Department this morning, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak disappeared from the public view.
Apart from the 2014 New Year Message on New Year’s Eve, which would have been drafted by his coterie of highly-paid consultants well in advance, there was not a word from the country’s Prime Minister although the country had never swirled and whirled with more disturbing developments and events which included:
• The deepening economic crisis caused by a series of price hikes and looming avalanche of more price hikes in the coming weeks and months culminating in the introduction of the GST at six per cent in April 2015;
• Crisis of deteriorating national educational standards for the past decade, with the country heading further south with the results of TIMSS 2011 and PISA 2012, and the Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin making himself “scarce” from public to avoid having to “square the circle” of how Malaysian students can perform several educational miracles under the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 to catapult to top-third of TIMSS and PISA international educational assessments when Malaysian students have continued to plunge in international educational standards;
• Crisis on the corruption front, despite the biggest budgets in past few years for the anti-corruption agency, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. In the last 19 years when Transparency International maintained its Corruption Perception Index, Malaysia achieved the dubious distinction as one of the countries which had been downgraded both in TI CPI ranking and score, as well as losing out to several countries which had lower CPI ranking and score in 1995.
Now, we are at the risk in the near future of being overtaken by countries including China and Indonesia which had been behind Malaysia and at the bottom of TI CPI in 1995. Read the rest of this entry »
Has UMNO transformed from a nation-building to a nation-destroying party with Muhyiddin supporting protests outside Churches and Noh Omar defending Selangor UMNO protesting against Christians?
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak, Religion on Monday, 6 January 2014
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! Read the rest of this entry »
Religious bigotry rearing its ugly head
Mohamed Hanipa Maidin
Malaysiakini
Jan 5, 2014
MP SPEAKS
At present we are witnessing religious bigotry rearing its ugly head. As a Muslim, I am asking myself what kind of Islam is my fellow Muslims are trying to portray.
Many religious issues are unfortunately being mishandled by the BN government. The muted prime minister lacks political courage to find any effective solution to heal the wounds.
The issue of shia, the ongoing fiasco over the use of ‘Allah’, the attempt to amend Article 3 (1) of the Federal Constitution declaring the sect of ahlul sunnah as an official version of Islam, the statement by Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria linking the participants of peaceful assembly in Dataran Merdeka as traitors, thus it would be lawful to execute them, the raid by Jais leading to the seizure of Malay Bibles and the arrest of two Christian adherents, are but few examples depicting the fragility of religious issues.
Islam has nothing to do with all this. Neither has Christianity, I sincerely believe. Unfortunately, Islam has been always misjudged through the prism of irresponsible acts of its adherents.
It has been said that Islam is being hidden by Muslims themselves through their conduct and behaviour.
To quote Alexender Pope, “a little knowledge is dangerous thing”.
Knowledge of Islam or rather the lack of it, has contributed to this state of affairs. Read the rest of this entry »
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