Burn bible call alarms Sabah Christians

The increasingly provocative statements by certain quarters is a direct attack on the rights of bumiputera Christians and their religious freedom, says the Commission of Sabah Affairs.

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Christian community is troubled by the authorities’ failure to censure a peninsula MP for religious intolerance.

The Commission of Sabah Affairs (COSA) of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) Malaysia wants the government to launch an investigation into the inflammatory call by Persaka president Ibrahim Ali on Muslims to burn Malay-language bibles with the word Allah.

After more than a week of silence on the matter, Rev Jerry Dusing, chairman of COSA said action on the threat was necessary and was in accordance to the law to ensure peace and harmony in the country.

“It is also within the mandate of the authorities to investigate the threatening note sent by a group that calls itself ‘Pasukan Bertindak Anti Bible Bahasa Melayu’ on its plan to hold a ‘pesta’ to burn Malay Bibles,” he added.

Dusing also said the increasingly provocative attacks by certain quarters against the Malay-language Bible was a direct attack on the rights of bumiputera Christians and their religious freedom as enshrined in their agreements at the formation of Malaysia and in the Federal Constitution.

He stressed that while Christians were peace-loving, “they are nonetheless compelled to speak against these provocations which attempt to undermine their religious freedom”.

“One recent episode is the arbitrary changing of one’s religion by the Sabah National Registration Department of native Christians to Muslims because their names had ‘bin’ or ‘binti’,” he cited.

Dusing reminded that the majority of Christians in Malaysia were Malay-speaking natives from Sabah and Sarawak, and used the Alkitab as their Bible for their liturgical and devotional reading.

“They use the Alkitab extensively in the peninsula where many of them work and study,” he added.

Respect Christians’ rights

He stressed that Sabah and Sarawak were guaranteed religious freedom in the 18-point and 20-point agreements that were part of the conditions for them joining in the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

“The first of these conditions for each state pertains to religious freedom. In Sabah, we have enjoyed religious freedom since time immemorial.

“We have even, according to our cultural tradition, built a stone memorial in Keningau to commemorate this safeguard to our religious freedom.

“We call on all to respect the rights of bumiputera Christians to religious freedom,” he said.

Dusing also urged Christians in the state not to be provoked by Ibrahim and Perkasa’s call.

“We choose not to retaliate but to pray for our beloved country Malaysia and for those who intend to spread hate,” he said.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, already reviled in the Borneo state for orchestrating the switch of the state from from Christian to Muslim majority by approving citizenship for tens of thousands of Muslim immigrants, is the patron and adviser of Perkasa.