DAP: Hisham must apologise for ‘Alkitab defacement’

Officials from Hishammuddin’s ministry had taken it upon themselves to mark copies of the Alkitab being held in Port Klang. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 17 — The DAP today trained their guns on Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, blaming him for the “violation” and “defacement” of the Malay-language bibles impounded by his ministry in Port Klang.

The Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) was told yesterday that its shipment of 5,100 Malay bibles seized at Port Klang had already been stamped with the home ministry’s official seal without the society’s prior permission.

The BSM had earlier refused to collect its cargo of holy books that had been detained for the last two years after the Home Ministry imposed two conditions for their release.

“The action has been done without any consultation or agreement from the importer or the Church.

“We condemn the complete lack of sensitivity of the home minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, in the actions taken by the ministry which had added salt to injury already suffered by the Christian community in Malaysia,” said DAP’s Tony Pua.

Today, the DAP national publicity chief demanded for Hishammuddin to immediately apologise to “all Malaysians” for insulting the faith of the Christian community, and provide an unconditional guarantee that such incidences, including the arbitrary confiscation of the Alkitab, would not see a repeat.

“In addition, the insistence on serial numbers to ‘control’ the circulation of these bibles are as if they are subversive documents which are a threat to national security,” added Pua.

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