KOTA BELUD: Upko Komulakan chief, Ewon Benedick has joined the chorus in condemning the action by Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) which on Thursday raided the premises of the Malaysian Bible Society and arrested two of its leaders.
“Whatever motive behind the raid, the action by JAIS is a total violation of religious freedom in Malaysia,” he said, adding that the latest action by JAIS has deepened the unity gap among multi-religious society in the country.
According to Ewon, the incident was yet another unwarranted action by JAIS which had also raided a charity dinner for AIDS campaign organised by a church in Selangor a few years back.
“There are some opinions that their action was guided by a decree pronounced in the state of Selangor, but I am of the opinion that it only demonstrated the failure of religious faith and fanaticism of the bigot officers,” he said.
“This action has made Malaysia a laughing stock especially when at the same time the administration was trying to portray this country as an Islamic country. I don’t think the other Muslim populated countries such as Indonesia, Jordan, UAE, among others, agreed to this kind of action by an Islamic authority. They have less percentage of other faith believers, yet they are more tolerant, democratic and understanding of the value of each religion,” he further said.
He believed that the action was not agreeable to the majority of right-thinking Muslims in the country.
“Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaludin, in his Christmas message has openly confessed that his formative years in a Christian Mission School did not change his religious faith despite the entire ethos in the school. This was proof that being right-minded supersedes fears, which in a way helps to build harmony and respect for one another among different faiths. What went so wrong now that we are no longer enjoying the right to religious freedom our founding fathers have laid upon the formation of this country?” he said.
“To the Christian community in East Malaysia, such incident has prompted them to ask what the Malaysia Agreement and the Constitution is now becoming, whether it still guarantees their right to pray wherever they are kneeling under the Malaysian sun,” he further said.
Ewon, who is also Upko Kota Belud Chief, has also demanded a firmer decision on the issue of religious freedom by the Prime Minister, Datuk Sri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, who is also a product of a Christian Mission School.
He reiterated his party stand which was made public in many speeches and media statements and supported the call made by Upko President, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok for Najib to walk the talk.
“East Malaysians especially in Sabah have seen religious bigotry in the 1970s and they whacked the government of the day when election time came. Now that this bigotry has resurfaced, it reminded them again and it will not help Barisan Nasional any better. The Prime Minister must bold enough to make a stand,” he said, adding that despite the frustration of a large segment of society towards the present government on its handling of the inter-faith issues, the raid has also proved that Pakatan Rakyat offered no better solution since JAIS is under Selangor state jurisdiction which is under Pakatan Rakyat.
Ewon also slammed the plan by Umno Selangor to hold a rally outside churches in Selangor to protest to a statement made by Rev Fr Lawrence Andrew on the rights of Christians in Selangor to pray in the national language which used Allah to refer to God.
“Barisan Nasional leaders from Sabah and Sarawak must initiate a joint effort to safeguard the constitutional rights of its citizens and strongly remind fellow leaders in Peninsular on where this country should be heading to. We in Sabah and Sarawak are certainly capable of proving how this issue can be best resolved,” he said.
“I join fellow right-minded Malaysians to call for preservation of religious tolerance in the country. I condemn this JAIS raid for it totally violates the Federal Constitution and the spirit of the Malaysian Agreement. We also certainly do not want ministerial decisions to contradict cabinet decisions, as well as statements among members of the administration contradicting with one another in contrast with the call for 1Malaysia. The Prime Minister went to the United Nations Assembly talking about a moderate approach, so he must walk the talk in his own country and ensure his party obeys public order for peace and harmony,” said Ewon.