KOTA KINABALU: The Member of Parliament for Penampang, Darell Leiking, yesterday reiterated that the ban on the autobiography on the life and struggles of Datuk Peter J Mojuntin entitled “The Golden Son of the Kadazan”, must be lifted and allowed to be reprinted for historical information.
“In a reply to my question as to why the autobiographical book is being banned and not the book published by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council Selangor (MAIS) entitled “Pendedahan Agenda Kristian” (Revelation of the Christian Agenda), Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said that the book had ‘heavily criticized’ the Federal Government and was deemed to be detrimental to the national security on the poor excuse that its content would cause religious disharmony between the Muslims and Christians in the country,” he said.
Leiking said that after several attempts to secure the “real reasons” for the 36-year-old ban of “The Golden Son of the Kadazan”, Ahmad Zahid may have inadvertently revealed the “real reasons” for the banning.
“It is shocking to know that an autobiography of a former Moyog state assemblyman has been deemed to be detrimental to the national security and being banned because it could, in the words of the minister, cause religious disharmony between the Muslims and Christians in Malaysia.
But at the same time, how could another controversial book known as “Pendedahan Agenda Kristian” which is being categorized as a research, has been allowed to be published/distributed freely without being deemed to be causing religious misunderstanding and disharmony?” he charged.
Leiking stressed that he found nothing in the Golden Son of the Kadazan (which is also available online as e-book) which can be deemed to cause religious disharmony nor material that heavily criticizes the Federal Government apart from fair comments and opinions by Bernard Sta Maria two years after the tragic air crash of 1976 which took life of Mojuntin.
“I am inclined to believe that there is much more than meets the eye in this particular case as the minister seems to have a ‘strange’ reason for what causes and ‘does not cause’ religious disharmony,” he said.
Leiking opined that the Federation of Malaysia needs a serious reset and it can begin to do so by allowing real historical facts to be disseminated to the population.
“The Golden Son of the Kadazan has letters and correspondences which may shed light into how North Borneo came to form the Federation of Malaysia and even how certain sentiments were boiling due to the broken promises of the formation (of the Federation of Malaysia) and many more.
“Let all the historical facts which are contained in this book be made known to all Malaysians, especially the younger ones since they will eventually be taking over the leadership of the country,” he concluded.
The Home Minister in reply to the Penampang MP in Parliament that the book, “Revelation of the Christian Agenda” which was distributed at a varsity-held seminar critical of Christianity was not banned as it did not contravene the law.
He said the book was just research and its contents were explanations by the Selangor religious authorities on the agenda, the Christianisation movement and efforts to proselytize Muslims in the country.
“The book discusses ways to spread the Christian faith which Muslims should be aware of. It was not found to have any content that goes against the provisions in the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984,” Ahmad Zahid told Leiking in a written reply.
The controversial seminar on Allah and Christology held at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) on May 6 saw several speakers talking about the “threat of Christianisation”.
Several police reports have been lodged over its anti-Christian elements.