‘Politicing religion is deliberate action’

Sarawakians must be wary of BN's divdie and rule policy and their inaction over the Bible burning issue, says Baru Bian.

KUCHING: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s deafening silence in face of Perkasa’s call to burn the Malay version of the Bible shows that the Barisan Nasional government had a ‘deliberate plan’ to politicise religion and ‘contain’ Christianity.

Reminding Sarawakians to be wary of BN’s divide and rule policy, Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian said: “Witness the ‘Allah’ issue, the deafening silence by the prime minister in the face of Ibrahim Ali’s call for the Malay Bible to be burnt, Dr Mahathir’s association with Perkasa and most recently, the revelations of the ongoing RCI in Sabah into Project IC.

“My friends, we cannot be blind to all these events.”

Bian said both Malaysia and Sarawak were a secular nation and state and as such had no “official” religion.

“The constitution guarantees us freedom of religion and that guarantee must be honoured. We must not let matters of personal belief tear us asunder,” stressed Bian, who is the Ba’Kelalan assemblyman.

On the coming parliamentary election, he said:  “As we prepare for the polls, let us reflect on what is dear to us as Sarawakians, and what we value most in our society.

“Let us ponder over why the people of a land as rich as Sarawak are amongst the poorest in this country after 50 years under the BN government.

“Let us resolve to say ‘enough’ to the shamelessly wealthy BN politicians and their cronies.

“On that most crucial day, let us exercise our wisdom at the ballot boxes and vote out the wolves, which have preyed on the innocent for far too long,” he said.

“As the snake sloughs its skin, so let us shed ourselves of the BN and its divisive and destructive policies.

“Let us cast off that oppressive regime of spongers tainted with corruption and crime, who have led this nation on a path to near-bankruptcy.

“This year of the Water Snake, let us take charge of our destiny by steering our course to one of rebirth and healing. This may well be our last chance to save what remains of our beloved Sarawak.

“With God’s grace, truth and justice will prevail,” he said.