JAIS’ raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia has hit the world news!
It is not only in Peninsular Malaysia, the news of the raid on the second day of the new year, has hit the Christian community worldwide.
The Holy Bible, being at the very heart of the Christian community, was being confiscated in a country which is supposed to practise religious freedom and moderation.
The dinosaur of Malaysian politics, Dr Mahathir Mohamad was among the first to make statements that the Christians in the peninsula should not irritate Muslims by using the name Allah, but unless Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak stood up against Islamic extremists in this country, he, too, would go down the history as a ‘weakling’ in Malaysian politics.
Mahathir has failed to see that in the eyes of the non-Muslims, these religious extremists are the ones who constantly trample on their holy book, shrine and temple. Failure of the BN Government to put a stop to religious extremism will continue to cost the BN its votes in the coming General Election.
Whatever austerity drive Najib was trying to promote in Putrajaya will not add to his popularity, nor that of the BN Government which he leads, when such an issue is not being nipped at the bud. Neither is his flamboyant “First Lady of Malaysia” capable of doing anything to heal relations between the races and religious groups in the country despite the old adage which suggests, “Charity begins at home.”
Arrogant and blatant
Infamous for its previous raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC), the JAIS has failed to learn its lesson.
Behaving more like thuds, they entered into the premises of the Bible Society of Malaysia and rudely shouted at the staff there. It is now up to the staff of the Bible Society to lodge a police report against the JAIS team for their lack of civility and for trespassing.
First, they were without a search warrant. Their entry into the premises is considered illegal, and the Christian community can take up a civil suit against JAIS. Although this would be a sad development, such action may have its merits especially when such raids are unbecoming of a nation that believes in freedom of religion.
The action by JAIS has not only marred the country’s image but that of the religion that they represent. Is this the religion, as taught by the prophet or it is a brand of Islam that is synonymous to the Malay supremacy created by the recalcitrant Mahathir?
After all, he was the one who first banned the Alkitab when he first came to power. It was also during his tenure as prime minister that a number of state enactments were passed that appeased certain quarters. With all the talks on religion, Malaysia has not become any less corrupt, compared to countries like Singapore and Switzerland. On the contrary, corruption that used to be ‘covered up’ is now raised in broad daylight. A good example is the infamous Scorpene scandal which led to the murder of Mongolian model, Altantuya Sharriibuu and the PKFZ scandal which ended up with former transport minister being acquitted.
Time to Speak Up
The Christian community in the country has themselves to be blamed for not speaking up when their rights are being trampled upon.
As Edmund Burke put it, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Without a double, the Christian community has to stand up and be counted.
The Church has always stood the tests of time, and triumph over the most difficult situations. Choosing between obeying God and some man-made laws, the choice is all too obvious.
If Christians would rather defy laws that went in contrary to their religious freedom and be prepared to be martyred than to give in, like the editor of Catholic weekly The Herald, Father Lawrence Andrew, they should state their convictions without fear.
It is also time for the Muslim community to unite, and put a stop to the religious extremists in their midst. In the run up to the general election last year, a PAS ustaz had said that people like Zulkifli Noordin (another extremist) should not even be given the chance to exist in Malaysia; where are the voices of the moderates like him?
Other Christian ministers from both Sabah and Sarawak should also speak up now, or forever remain silent. They should take the cue from Sarawak's Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing, who was prepared to lambast at what he calls “gutless federal leaders” who are merely tip-toeing around the Allah issue instead of taking the bull by the horn.
Sabah and Sarawak, being BN’s fixed deposit, are now experiencing the heat. Despite Najib’s 10-point plan, the JAIS’ raiders also took away the Iban Bibles. East Malaysians can no longer remain contented with their way of life, because when the Alkitab being the Holy Book of the Malay-speaking Christian community, is being treated with such contempt, they should also speak up.
While the Christians do not go around creating chaos, their rights should not be trampled upon. UMNO Baru has to realise, at the end of the day, without the support of the Christian, Hindu and Sikh community, and the Malays themselves are now turning to Pakatan, they are as good as gone.
A Blessing in Disguise
Some analysts say that the JAIS’ raid on the Bible Society in Malaysia is therefore a blessing in disguise. It is a time to awaken the sleeping giant.
Pakatan has been working hard on ploughing the ground in East Malaysia, but without much help from the local community, they had failed in two attempts to win seats in Sabah and Sarawak.
Now, with the churches being shaken up from their slumber, it is likely that the 14th General Election will see a bigger shift in the people’s support towards BN. - Malaysia Chronicle
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