Bible episode to end soon – Liew

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KOTA KINABALU: The government is making efforts to amicably settle the issue concerning the released Bibles with church leaders once and for all.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said there had been some positive moves and an end to this sorry episode would be seen by early next week.

He urged the people not to be swayed nor to listen to rumours which had been spread in the form of SMS or in the internet blogs by the opposition.

“The opposition have played up the issue for their political agenda. They have even claimed that the Bible has now become a restricted item in the country,” the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president and Sandakan member of parliament said in a statement yesterday.

Describing the claim as “not true and certainly the biggest lie,” he said, “we know for a fact that Bibles are freely distributed in the country and can be bought or obtained from any Christian bookstore and in church without any restriction whatsoever. It has never become a restricted item as alleged by irresponsible quarters intended to play up with the people’s sentiment,” he said.

The deputy minister gave the assurance that the contents of the released Bibles had not been altered.

“No alteration whatsoever had been made to the contents of the released Bibles. They are to be returned to the parties in their original state and form,” he said.

“We, as Christians, know that the words of God as contained in the Bibles are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow,” Liew stressed.

“We are assured by the scriptures that the words shall never be broken. It is written that “Heaven and Earth will pass away but my words will never pass away”.

“It is also a fact that we can go to the church of our choice in this country to worship freely.

“We all know that we will continue to face many challenges ahead in our lives. Sometimes very difficult, very trying and painful that can bring our knees down. We do not know what tomorrow brings.”

“But as it is written, we must not be anxious for anything but in everything by prayers and supplication, with thanksgiving and then let our troubles, worries and requests be made known to the Almighty,” advised Liew.