‘Christians in Malaysia have rights too’

There is an assumption among politicians at the national level that no matter what they say about the Christians, the latter wouldn’t dare respond to assert their rights, says Daniel John Jambun.

KOTA KINBALU: Christians in the country should not be afraid to assert their rights as Malaysians in matters concerning their faith, said Sabah STAR.

In a statement issued here, party deputy chairman Daniel John Jambun said politicians who get involved in the debates on religion in Malaysia were behaving as if the Christians have no feelings and no rights as Malaysians.

“It is ridiculous that many non-Christian leaders are talking about various religious issues as if the Christians are emotionally dead about matters affecting their religious rights,” Jambun said.

He stressed that he has no intention to interfere in Islamic affairs, but just to express the feeling of numerous people who have called him to voice out their grievance over the “spiritual colonialisation” by PAS and the bullying of Christians by some insensitive political leaders.

Jambun said that while he himself respected everyone’s rights to their beliefs and religious practices, the same respect was not accorded to Christians as well.

He noted that there was this popular assumption among politicians at the national level that no matter what they said about the Christians, the latter wouldn’t dare respond to assert their rights.

He cited that it was a clear case of condescension, taking for granted and outright bullying by Muslim leaders opposing the use of the word “Allah” to prohibit or control the distribution of the Indonesian Alkitab, to arrest non-Muslims in khalwat cases, and to proclaim fatwas (decrees) affecting the non-Muslims.

“Now the situation is reaching a critical level with PAS insisting on the implementation of hudud in the whole of the country and to turn Malaysia into a theocracy.

“Initially, hudud was just for Kelantan and there was assurance it wouldn’t affect non-Muslims. But we all know that the implementation of hudud will definitely affect all Malaysians because as a people, we interact and there will be circumstances in which non-Muslims will be entangled into the syariah law. It’s high time this is stopped,” he said.

He lamented that the Muslims and non-Muslims people of Sabah who have lived in harmony are now being rattled by religious issues raised by politicians and NGOs.

“The fact that the people of Sabah had been assured of religious freedom in Malaysia as documented by the Keningau Oath Stone, is now meaningless. The Christians in Sabah here now feel they are being harassed and denied their rights,” he said.

Jambun thus opined that the government should make a strong stance and treat these inflammatory religious proclamations as seditious and threat to public peace and national harmony.