Catholic clergy wants action against baseless, provocative Utusan report

May 08, 2011

Malaysia’s top Catholic leader wants Putrajaya to act on those claiming Christians are plotting to usurp Islam’s position, saying today the baseless and provocative Utusan Malaysia report is “heaping odium” on Christians.

The Umno-owned daily’s front-page headline yesterday “Malaysia Negara Kristian?” (Malaysia, a Christian country?) has raised the ire of Christians and has led to a flurry of reports by both Malay rights groups and DAP politicians who have been accused of complicity by pro-Umno bloggers.

“It is clear that such reporting has the effect of creating religious disharmony, inciting hatred and heaping odium on Christians,” Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Tan Sri Datuk Murphy Nicholas Pakiam (right) said in a statement.

“We therefore call upon the authorities and the police to immediately make a thorough investigation of this matter to determine the source of these insidious, provocative and malicious lies and to take the necessary action against those who seek to threaten the multi-cultural and multi-religious harmonious make-up of this country,” he added.

Pakiam, who also leads the Catholic Bishops of Malaysia, also repeated the Penang Catholic Church’s denial that it was hosting any meeting today at the Catholic Christian Centre (Pusat Kristian Katolik) in Penang and a public lecture tomorrow on the issue.

In a statement, Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Tan Sri Datuk Murphy Nicholas Pakiam said the Church has no treasonous agenda. — file pic

“On behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Malaysia, I would like to categorically refute the allegation that such a meeting had taken place or will take place in a Catholic venue in Penang. It is clear that this reporting is baseless and highly irresponsible as the reporters and editors of the above newspaper have not taken any reasonable steps whatsoever to verify the allegations made by anonymous bloggers.

“Furthermore, this report comes after the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), one of the organisers of the above meeting, refuted the claims of those bloggers and the same was carried on online media. The NECF has further clarified that this meeting only covered the topic of ethical leadership and had no treasonous agenda as alleged by the bloggers and news report,” he added.

Utusan Malaysia reported from several blogs whose owners have accused the DAP of sedition in an alleged conspiracy with Christians to change the country’s highest law to put a Christian in place of a Muslim as prime minister.

To back up their allegation, the bloggers pointed to a grainy photograph showing what they described as a secret pact between the DAP and pastors at a closed-door dinner party in a Penang hotel on Wednesday.

The dinner organisers — made up of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship — have denied the claim as lies, and explained it was to honour several pastors from Sarawak who were in Penang for the Unashamedly Ethical marketplace conference held on Thursday.

In his statement, Pakiam also pointed out in recent statements by the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) over the Al-Kitab issue that “we had always reiterated our commitment and readiness to hold dialogues and work together with the government and all parties for a just and reasonable solution”.

“It is clear that our position has never been treasonous nor have we advocated hatred, antagonism or animosity towards any religion or groups of persons.

“I continue to call upon all Catholics, Christians and all Malaysians to pray, hold dialogues and work together to strengthen national unity and harmony. May God bless our leaders with a firm vision and the courage and strength to uphold and realise it,” the archbishop said.