Are you listening, Muhyiddin?

April 11, 2011

It is no wonder that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has to set aside six days and lead the Barisan Nasional (BN) election campaign in Sarawak.

If he left it to his deputy, more people would be alienated and left upset. I have just read a report in The Malaysian Insider where Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has defended the government’s handling of the Alkitab issue. He then goes on to perpetuate a lie by saying that the issue has been resolved.

“When have we ever been anti-Christian or anti-religion? It’s all a big lie. The Barisan Nasional has always upheld the Rukun Negara,” he is quoted as saying in Sibu.

Has Muhyiddin been in dreamland for the past few days? There can only be a resolution to any problem if two or more parties agree to a proposed solution. In this case, the importers of the Malay-language bibles which were seized and then defaced have agreed to collect them but the Christian Federation of Malaysia has clearly said that the Christians have yet to decide whether to accept the so-called 10-point plan by the government.

The CFM is not willing to rush into any decision because it is not bound by the Sarawak election deadline and because BN has a history of double talk when it comes to religious freedom. Over the years, obstacles have been put in the way of Christians practising their faith here.

So it is incredible that the DPM says the Alkitab issue is solved. He is either not following events closely or chooses to ignore the facts. Poor Muhyiddin. He also wants to know when did the government do anything which could be perceived as anti-Christian.

How about the day the government designated the Alkitab as a threat to national security?

It is interesting that the DPM and others are hammering the opposition for capitalising on this issue. But they are barking up the wrong tree. In addition, it seems that everyone is trying to “solve” Christian grievances because of the Sarawak election.

And to me that is sad. It should not matter whether a group of people makes up nine per cent of the population or one per cent. As long as their rights are spelt out in the Constitution, it should be protected.

So far Muhyiddin and gang seem to have failed that test of sincerity.

* George Sandosham reads The Malaysian Insider.