Tan Sri Dr James Masing
KUCHING: Malaysian leaders must decide once and for all the interpretation of religious freedom enshrined in the constitution, says Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Dr James Masing.
“Religious policies should not be decided based on political expediency but rather it should be decided on sound religious principles tempered by centuries of divine wisdom,” Masing told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
He was commenting on an online news report that the Selangor Islamic authorities yesterday raided the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) in Petaling Jaya and seized copies of both the Malay-language and Iban bibles that contain the word ‘Allah’, while three BSM officials were also being held by police.
Prior to the action taken by the Selangor religious authorities yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had said that the word ‘Allah’ could still be used by the Christians in Sarawak and Sabah who are mostly Bumiputeras while Christians in the peninsula were barred from using the word after the High Court made a judgement that it was illegal for The Herald, a weekly Catholic tabloid to use it in its Malay publication.
On the latest action taken by Selangor Statet Islamic Affairs Deprtament (Jais) yesterday, Masing said it was expected.
“Nevertheless the most disappointing thing in Malaysia is when the constitution says in no uncertain terms ‘freedom of religion’ existed in the country. It doesn’t say “limited freedom of religion,” said the Senior Minister.
It was reported yesterday that BSM executive council member Nic Ng said a team of about 20 people comprising police and Jais officers arrived at the society’s premises.
“They took at least 321 copies of the Al-Kitab, which contains the word ‘Allah’, and they also took 16 copies of the Iban bible, the Bup Kudus. In Iban, the word for God is ‘Allah Ta’ala’,” said Ng.
BSM is the one that imports and prints and distributes Malay bibles to Sarawak and Sabah.
Meanwhile, Ng said that the police had told BSM President Lee Min Choon and Secretary-General Dr Simon Wong to follow them to the Damansara police station.
At the police station, it was also reported that Lee, Wong and BSM office manager Sinclair Wong were arrested under the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988 that prohibits non-Muslims in Selangor from using 35 Arabic words and phrases, including the word for God, ‘Allah’.
MSM pointed out that all its Malay bibles were imprinted with a picture of the cross and the words ‘Penerbitan Kristian’ on the cover and noted that the Home Ministry regularly inspects its bible shipment imports.
“The authorities know what we’re doing. They’re aware of the existence of our bibles,” said Lee.
He added that BSM’s customers were not just the churches in Sarawak and Sabah, but also Sarawakian and Sabahan Christians, Orang Asli churches and other Malay-speaking Christians in the peninsula.
“We expect the authorities to work with each other and to sort this situation out so that Malay-speaking Christians in this country can read their scriptures,” said Lee.
Jais’ raid comes after its newly-appointed director, Ahmad Zaharin Mohd Saad, said last Thursday that letters will be sent to all churches in Selangor to ask them to comply with the Selangor 1988 enactment.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC) president Dato Su Chii Ann expressed disappointment over the seizure Bibles of Iban and Bahasa Malaysia languages.
“I urge both political and religious leaders to uphold and respect Article 11 of the Constitutions. The Article has clearly outlined every individual’s right to freedom of speech and religion,” said Su.
He further hoped that the leaders of the country, regardless of their religions, would not use the issue to confuse the Christians in Sarawak and Sabah as well as those in the Peninsular Malaysia.
When contacted, Assistant Bishop of Anglican Church Bishop Aeries Sumping Jingan said he was shocked and saddened by the event and quoted to The Borneo Post what he wrote on his social network page.
“According to the 10-point agreement worked out by the PM through Datuk Idris Jala, Christians in Malaysia (East & West) are given the assurance that not only can we import and use the Alkitab. We are even allowed to print it locally.
“Jais confiscated not only the Alkitab but also the Iban Bup Kudus. Let see what action the PM will take in the face of this blatant disregard of the PM’s assurance by Jais! What a sad day for Malaysia…if this is going to be the order of things for 2014!