KUCHING: In a move that is likely to rattle Barisan Nasional as it prepares for the April 16 state election, a powerful alliance of Sarawak churches has announced a series of prayer rallies to pressure the government to relax its restrictions on non-Islamic religions.
The first rally will be held tonight at the Christian Ecumenical Worship Centre in Kuching.
More than 2,000 Christians are expected to turn up tonight for the “prayer for religious freedom”, said Daron Tan, chairman of the Kuching Ministers Fellowship, one of the groups in the alliance, the Sarawak Ministers Fellowship (SMF).
“This is the first rally on religious freedom,” Tan told FMT. “The Christian community in Sarawak has never before come together in a confrontational stance against the government. But in this case we feel that we are forced to resort to this for us to be heard.”
The case he was referring to is the detention of Malay bibles, published as Al-Kitab Berita Baik, and the imposition of conditions for their release.
SMF is demanding the unconditional release of the bibles and unrestricted passage of future shipments.
SMF’s other members include the Miri Pastors Fellowship, Sibu Pastors Fellowship, Bintulu Pastors Fellowship and Gempuru Besai Raban Jaku Iban Malaysia.
Tan said he anticipated a strong Iban presence at tonight’s rally. The Iban vote is crucial in determining the winner in elections in Sarawak. They make up about a third of the population. Christians account for 43% of Sarawak’s 2.4 million people.
Last week the Home Ministry allowed the release of the impounded bibles on condition that each copy be stamped with the words “For Christians Only” and a serial number.
Unacceptable conditions
In a statement issued today, SMF told the government to honour its promise of religious freedom for all Malaysians as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
It said the conditions imposed for releasing the Malay bibles were “wholly unacceptable”.
“We believe that this directive from the Home Ministry is arbitrary, unlawful and unconstitutional. The deliberate act of desecration has also deeply hurt the Christian community in Sarawak.
“We view this state of affairs and the imposition of the two conditions as yet another curtailment on the constitutional right of Malaysian Christians to profess, practice and propagate our faith and to be taught and nourished spiritually through our Holy Scriptures.”
It said SMF could not accept the government’s position that the Al-Kitab was “prejudicial to national interest and security of the Federation”.
“The rally tonight will last two hours, during which there will be a sharing session by the leaders to clarify SMF’s mission as well as a prayer session for religious freedom,” Daron said.
“The rally is also a show of our disappointment with the government’s delay in proposing a better solution” to the bible controversy.
Future rallies will be held in other towns in Sarawak. The dates have not been decided. - FMT
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