Christians of Sarawak: Resurrection now!

All Christians will be celebrating the Resurrection of Christ, also known as Easter later this month. Easter is a celebration of new beginnings, starting afresh and starting anew.

Christians of Sarawak need to take note of this and bring the Resurrection of Christ into their lives on 16th April 2011 by starting anew and rejecting corruption, oppression and sins of the past.

The BN federal government has shown its lack of sincerity with regards to the Bible issue and in the process has exposed its disrespect for the Christians' Holy Book.

Last minute frantic efforts to repair the situation that were clearly and blatantly orchestrated by BN with the help of some Sarawakian Christians such as Idris Jala and ACS have deepened the feelings of frustration and betrayal in the community both in the Land of the Hornbills and the peninsula.

But enough is enough. The feeling is growing amongs Christian leaders that tentacles of corruption must be stopped before they spread, contaminate and eat into Malaysia's system and destroy the people's way of life. Indeed, Christians have a duty to speak up and and support responsbile and moral action.

A duty to stand up for justice

Idris Jala is a Sarawakian Christian from the Sidang Injil Borneo denomination. Yet the feeling in Sarawak is that he allowed himself to be used.

To Christians, it was bad enough that the Bible were degraded, defiled and desecrated but Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein could still find it in himself to tell the mainstream papers that if the Bibles were kept long enough, the books would become smelly.

Such insensitive remarks coming from a top BN leader is totally unacceptable and whichever side of the political divide one is one, it does show that BN leaders have scant respect for other faiths.

Why is this so? Is it due to our existing political system that has fostered fear amongst the different and religious culture? Should Christians close an eye on this or should they vaccuum out the filth and dirt and contribute to a Malaysia that is clean and healthy. A Malaysia that functions!

Malaysia Chronicle spoke to DAP's Charles Santiago who has been campaigning in Sarawak and he expressed confidence that Christians would be able to see for themselves the BN Government's stand on the Bible issue.

"DAP will focus on highlighting the massive abuses of public funds by the Sarawak BN government and at the same time highlight the clean administration practiced in the Pakatan state. Hopefully, everyone and not just the Christians will see that we are genuine," said the Klang MP.

Prayers for a new beginning

DAP's Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham who is also a Christian is of the view that the community would be able to see the falseness of the BN in dealing with the Bible issue. According to him, the last-minute damage control from BN was meant to entice Christian votes but their "overkill" might have worsened the situation.

Of late, many Christian leaders have come out to publicly reiterate that the Church always advocates that the government of a nation must be clean and trustworthy as the government is only the steward of the nation's wealth.

The government cannot appropriate the nation's wealth for its own interests, thereby subverting the needs of the people, they said.

To Ngeh, the message from the Church is loud and clear.

"The well-known saying of 'God helps those who help themselves' rings true in Sarawak. The Sarawakians especially the natives who stay in the interiors can only get out of abject poverty if they help themselves by voting out their oppressors," said Ngeh.

Nonetheless, at the end of the day, it is up to Christians themselves to choose whom they wish to lead them. The Church can only exhort its followers to pray for discernment before voting and also to vote wisely.

As for all Malaysians, regardless of faith or creed, let us pray for a joyous new beginning for all the people of Sarawak.

- Malaysia Chronicle