KUCHING: The Attorney-General Chambers (AG-C) has decided that no legal action would be taken against Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali on his call for the burning of Malay language Bibles.
In a statement yesterday, it said this was made on the basis that he had no intention in creating religious disharmony when he called for the burning of Bible copies that contained the word ‘Allah’ during a speech in January last year.
It also deemed that the call was made in the context of an incident in Jelutong, Penang, where copies of the Bible were being distributed to members of the public there, including Muslims.
As such, AG-C deemed Ibrahim’s call did not fall within the definition of seditious tendency as stated under the Sedition Act 1948.
Nevertheless, several state leaders are voicing their concerns over the chambers’ refusal to prosecute Ibrahim, claiming that it does not correspond to the country’s stand against extremism.
Land Development Minister and PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Masing fired the first salvo by saying that as far as AG-C’s decision went, it seemed that Malaysia was contradicting its own principle as a nation that practises moderation.
“Are you telling me that in ‘defending the sanctity of Islam’, it means anything goes?
“This is not the voice of moderation as envisioned by Malaysia. The Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) just said this in his speech at the United Nations two weeks ago, affirming that Malaysia was a moderate country that tolerated all religions. I am wondering now where Malaysia is heading to with this kind of statement coming (from the government),” the minister told The Borneo Post yesterday.
“We cannot allow this (acceptance of extremism) to happen in our country. Come on, Malaysia has been so peaceful all these years, so please don’t encourage it (extremism),” he urged.
Masing, however, said he was glad that this state under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem and his predecessor Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, had never tolerated extremism in any form.
“I am very pleased that we have been so tolerant towards those of different religions; and for that, I thank the government of Sarawak for ‘swimming against the current’. We thank the former chief minister and the current one for their strong stand against extremists’ views,” he added.
Touching on religion, Masing said it should be based on one’s conscience.
“You cannot force anyone to accept a faith that is not of his or her choice. The freedom of religion can be seen as ‘passing through a swinging door’ – you can come in as well as come out.
“That’s what freedom of religion means to me. Say if you’re a Christian but if you want to leave for other religions, you will not be ostracised by society by doing so.”
Masing also hoped that the country’s leaders must learn to take constructive criticisms as there was no room for arrogance.
“We must be self-critical because we can do wrong. As such, we must let others correct us,” he stressed.
Meanwhile state PKR chairman Baru Bian urged the government to sack A-G Tan Sri Ghani Patail for his lack of courage in taking action over Ibrahim’s bible-burning remark.
“He (Ghani) is supposed to look after the rights and religious freedom of all Malaysians. What is wrong is still wrong – what Ibrahim Ali had said was certainly seditious in nature,” said the Ba Kelalan assemblyman, who is also a lawyer.
He also believed that Ibrahim’s remark would open the floodgate for other seditious-intent individuals to act and say things like he did.
Concurring with Baru, Assistant Minister of Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said Ibrahim had tainted the very meaning of religious freedom in the country, especially for Sarawakians.
“Still, the decision has been made by the AG-C. We are not questioning it, except to say that Ibrahim’s remark is very unhealthy for a multi-religious society like Malaysia,” the Bengoh assemblyman added.
In his comment, state DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen believed that the decision by the chambers turned out as such because Perkasa itself had been backed by Umno all this while.