Zabariah Matali
Neil Paul Sakai
Major Nerwair Singh Gill
KUCHING: Representatives from various religious organisations praised The Borneo Post for its initiative in coming up with the Malaysia Interfaith Network Column at its launch at Crown Towers here yesterday.
Giving their full support for the column which will be published in thesundaypost beginning this Sunday, they agreed that it will help strengthen the peace and harmony we have been enjoying all this while.
Chief executive officer of the Islamic Information Centre, Zabariah Matali, said the column was important in promoting the teachings of Islam as well as other religions to dispel misconceptions and promote better understanding of our similarities and differences.
“Reading and acknowledging what we have learnt are very important for acquiring knowledge and wisdom. You cannot just follow blindly.
“As such, this effort by The Borneo Post is a significant step in encouraging people to read.
“ Considering that the society is moving at a fast pace, the direct short column is good to capture readers’ attention and remind them of the teachings and morals from the holy scriptures to lead better lives,” she said.
On the centre, she said it had limited sources to promote the teachings of Islam, and believed that the column would reach a wider audience.
Representative of the Malaysia Hindu Saggam Sarawak State Council Penghulu K Komarusamy believed that through the column, quotations from the holy scriptures of various religions which were not known could be made known to the people.
“All religions are good. We have learnt to respect each other in this multiracial country. This should be maintained so that there will always be peace and prosperity in the country to spur greater development and progress,” he said.
Neil Paul Sakai of National Unity and Integration Department said the column would play a significant role in strengthening unity for a better Malaysia.
“Malaysia was built based on tolerance. But as we progress, we have learnt that acceptance and understanding are the core values to build our nation,” he emphasised.
With more than 200 ethnic groups in Malaysia, he believed it was only through acceptance of our weaknesses and strengths that we were able to achieve the aspirations of the country.
He urged all to work hand in hand to progress together and assured his full support for the project saying: “The doors to his department will always be opened for more collaborations in organising activities and programmes to achieve the objectives of this initiative.”
Kuching Buddhist Society representative Lau King Ing was glad to be part of the initiative as it was “our spiritual and religious duty to foster interfaith understanding.”
“Tolerance is a time bomb but with understanding, we learnt to appreciate and accept. Religious teachings are inspiring so let us not waste what we have,” he added.
On behalf of the Sarawak Sikh Society, Major Nerwair Singh Gill said this transformation of ideas would help to push forward the concept of 1Malaysia.
“We have no problem working and living with other people. I want to thank The Borneo Post for coming up with this column which augurs well with the country’s vision towards transformation.
“With better understanding of views and beliefs of other religions, it does not matter what backgrounds we come from,” he added.