Kurup: Gov’t still investigating ‘cash for conversion’ claims

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Joseph Kurup, says it may take up to two months to confirm the authenticity of the allegation.

PETALING JAYA: The government is still investigating claims of several villagers in rural Sabah being duped into converting to Islam, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Joseph Kurup today.

Speaking after chairing a forum organised by the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMMF), Kurup said that investigators are now trying to gather evidence.

“And I was told that the report will come in one or two months time,” he said.

Early this year, Kadazandusun Christians from about 30 villages in Sabah claimed that they were tricked into converting into Islam, by an Islamic organisation based in Selangor.

They claimed that several individual offered financial assistance to them in return for signing several documents.

Being illiterate, they only realised later that they had signed documents confirming their conversion to Islam.

Whether they villagers would be allowed to return to Christianity if the allegation were proven true, Kurup was coy on the matter.

“If they converted out of free will, we cannot do anything. If forced, we will see later,” he said.

Hiew’s application’s to join PBRS will be considered -

On another matter, Kurup, who is also Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president, refused to comment on Luyang state assemblyman Dr Hiew King Cheu application’s to join the party.

“We will discuss it in the supreme council meeting,” he said.

Last week, independent state assemblyman Hiew King Cheu, who quit DAP last year, confirmed that he had submitted his application to join PBRS, but is awaiting a response from the party.

However, Hiew conceded that his application may take time as the PBRS leadership would need to a consensus from other Barisan Nasional component parties.