MoCS lodges police report against Pasir Puteh MP over Bible remark

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(From left) Ho, Lee, Ho and See at the Sekama police station after lodging the report today.

KUCHING (Sept 3): The Movement For Change Sarawak (MoCS) today lodged a police report against Pasir Puteh MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi Nik Salleh for saying that the Bible has been corrupted or manipulated.

MoCS coordinator Edmund Lee said they decided to lodge a police report against the PAS politician after he refused to apologise for making the remark despite being called to do so by many parties, including the Christian authorities in the country.

“What made it even worse is that Nik Muhammad Zawawi even said that Christians have no right to be offended which shows his disregard for the beliefs of the Christian community in the country.

“MoCS therefore stands with the Malaysian Christian community and authorities to call for Nik Muhammad Zawawi to apologise to all Christians in the country,” he said.

Lee was accompanied two other MoCS members Mike Lim, Robert Ho and Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How when lodging a police report against Nik Muhammad Zawawi at the Sekama police station here.

The PAS MP made the remark when debating the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2020 to propose heavier fines for drink driving offenders on Aug 26.

The Pasir Puteh MP was further quoted in the news media on Aug 29, saying: “They (the Christians) have no right to be offended. What I said was not an accusation, but a fact”.

With the police report, Lee said MoCS wanted the police and relevant authorities to investigate the matter with the urgency and take the appropriate action against Nik Muhammad Zawawi.

Lee said Nik Muhammad Zawawi’s remark was also against the principles of Rukun Negara which is the Malaysian declaration of national philosophy and therefore, the country should not allow people like Nik Muhammad to get away with his or her actions without being reprimanded.

“Malaysians, especially those who are of the Christian faith should stand up against people like Nik Muhammad Zawawi because if Malaysian keep quiet about it, more people like him (Nik Muhammad Zawawi) will make seditious remarks against Christians.

“Malaysians must also show that there is no place for people who make derogatory and seditious remarks against any religion in the country,” he added.

Lee also hoped that leaders of the country, both at the state and federal levels would not keep quiet about Nik Muhammad Zawawi’s action as they were obligated to protect every Malaysian regardless of race or religion.

Meanwhile, Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How said he was pleased to be with the three MoCS members to lodge a police report against Nik Muhammad Zawawi, as an effort from the civil society..

See, who is also a Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB Presidential Council member, said they were hopeful that the state government, particularly Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah who is in charge of the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor), would make a strong statement against politicians like Nik Muhammad Zawawi.

“We were hopeful that the state government, particularly the Deputy Chief Minister (Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas) as the minister taking charge of Unifor would make a strong statement against the PAS MP but he basically was only asking everybody to ignore the derogatory and seditious remarks made by that MP.

“I am disappointed with that because the silence of the people may fuel the religious bigotry which will hurt the very fabrics of our multi racial and multi religious mixed society, most particularly Sarawak and Sabah.

“The DCM is probably restrained because PAS is their partner in the federal Perikatan Nasional government,” See said.

Uggah, had on Aug 30, appealed to everyone to calm down and cease from engaging in further inflammatory debates or exchanges in both social and print media with regards to Nik Muhammad’s recent opinion on the authenticity of the Bible.

In praising this good effort and initiative that had come from the citizens and civil society, See said it was everybody’s effort to safeguard the harmonious relationship between all Sarawakians, irrespective of their race and cultural background and religious beliefs.