KUCHING: Christians in Selangor should not bow down to pressure in doing what is allowed by the law, says Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing.
In referring to the pressure by a group of about 50 demonstrators, who gathered outside a church in Taman Medan, Selangor on Sunday to protest against a cross on the church’s building, Masing said nobody should prohibit such practice when the country’s highest court allowed it.
“Putting of a cross on church building or on a place where Christians worship is the practice of Christianity. The Federal Court allows it.
“Therefore, nobody should prohibit such practice. It is in breach of the Federal Court’s decision. Those who break the law should have the book thrown at them and not the other way round,” Masing, who is Land Development Minister, said yesterday.
The protestors had demanded the cross to be taken down, claiming that it challenged Islam. Some of them also said the existence of a church in the vicinity was an affront to their faith.
It was understood that the cross was taken down by church authorities several hours later.
PKR Sarawak chairman Baru Bian said the incident was evidence that extremism and religious bigotry were alive and well in Malaysia.
“This group of 50 or so Muslims claiming superiority in numbers obviously has not given any thought to the bigger picture. If their argument is valid that just because 95 per cent of the people in that area are Muslims, then the Christians should not put up a cross, what about the situation where Muslims form the minority of the population?
“In Sarawak, majority of the population is non-Muslim. How would these Taman Medan Muslims feel if Sarawakian Muslims were treated the same way they treat their Christian neighbours? That of course is a purely rhetorical question because such bigotry is not practised here, thankfully,” Baru, who is Ba Kelalan assemblyman, said in a press statement yesterday.
He said freedom of religion for Malaysians is guaranteed by Article 11 of the Federal Constitution and the only restrictions are provided in Article 11 (5); that is any act contrary to public order, public health and morality.
“The hanging of a cross on their church premises does not pose a threat to any of these three elements. Bullying the church into removing it is an odious act of extremism, which I can only attribute to insecurity on the part of the small group of Muslims.
“What is more disturbing to me is the allegation that the group consists mainly of BN members, and several have been identified in the photographs which have been circulated in social media and the press.”
Baru said extremism and religious bigotry were allowed to grow unchecked because of a weak prime minister and government, and biased and selective prosecution.
“It is distressing and repugnant when the country has a prime minister who portrays a moderate image in foreign lands, but allows his own party members to play on religious sentiments for political purposes,” he added.
Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali condemned the forced removal of the cross, stating that it was unacceptable and disrespectful to the Christians.
“The cross is a sacred symbol for the Christian community. To force them to remove the symbol is certainly unacceptable and disrespectful to the Christian community,” he said after attending the monthly meeting for Selangor state government departments yesterday.