On Twitter, Malaysians praise Azmin over return of Bibles

Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamad Azmin Ali (3rd right, in blue) at the Selangor Palace together with Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (centre) and Rev Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok. – Pic courtesy of Selangor press secretariat, November 14, 2014.

Malaysians of all faiths and races took to social media today to praise Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamad Azmin Ali for securing the return of the 351 Malay- and Iban-language Bibles to the Christians.

Many Muslims congratulated Azmin for doing what they said was the right thing, despite the fact that the whole issue had been triggered by the state Islamic authorities’ raid on The Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) in January.

Perlis Mufti Dr Juanda Jaya tweeted: “YAB Dato MentriBesar @AzminAli Wise Move Not too late but also not rushing We are brothers under one roof MALAYSIA!”
Twitter user @MohdZuhairi wrote: “@AzminAli respect other religion. This is Islam. Tahniah RB @AzminAli!”

“Cgrts to Azmin Ali MB Salangor(sic) for returning the Bibles. But this issue of bibles being seized shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” tweeted @MohdAmeerulAmde.

Mohamed Afiq Tam, who tweets using the handle @1957tammal, wrote: “well done YAB Azmin” while @zahidmnaser tweeted “good job azmin ali”.

Morithi Govindas (@CikguMoorthy), wrote: Syabas Dato Azmin Ali, semoga allah mencucuri rahmat anda. Tq” (Congratulations Dato Azmin Ali, may Allah bless your soul).

Many also expressed their approval of Azmin’s leadership as the new menteri besar, with @mustaphakamal93 tweeting: “Aku semakin meminati cara gerak kerja MB Selangor baru. Keep up the good work.” (I am liking the work of the new Selangor MB more and more. Keep up the good work).

Azmin was sworn in as MB on September 23, replacing Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Khalid had been criticised by DAP and even his own party, PKR, for not taking a firmer stance over the Bible issue, which had dragged on for months with no resolution in sight.

A screenshot of some of the tweets praising Azmin. – November 14, 2014.K.Kumar (@2sayornot2say) tweeted: “Many talk but few do. You are a man of ur words. Bless you and your team. Serve Selangor well YB. We need you.”

“@AzminAli You’re the hope of our democratic nation’s better future! Well done Azmin,” tweeted Teresina under the handle @caritasintruth.

“@AzminAli Good man just do what is right. Keep that moral courage shining always. Selangorians are proud to have you as our Menteri Besar!” wrote Elsie Low (@LowElseieLow54).

Ram AJ (@_Ram_AJ) said, “@AzminAli by his majestic deed has exemplified to the world the love & respect for humanity regardless of religion.”

Leaders from Barisan Nasional component parties MIC and Gerakan also congratulated Azmin for solving the issue that had stumped his predecessor.

“Well done YB @AzminAli. You are truly a leader for Malaysians,” tweeted MIC strategy director S. Vel Paari under his handle @vellpaari.

Gerakan Youth President Tan Keng Liang also acknowledged Azmin’s efforts, but was quick to accuse the Selangor government of lying for saying the Bible issue was beyond its jurisdiction.

“Tahniah kpd MB @AzminAli kerana kerana kembalikan Kitab Inji… Harap Krjn Pakatan Selangor hormat org Kristian & jangan lagi rampas Kitab Injil,” he tweeted. (Congratulations to MB @AzminAli for returning the Bibles, Hopefully the Selangor Pakatan govermment respects Christians and no longer seizes Bibles).

“The ability of MB @AzminAli to return the Christian Bibles also proves that Pakatan ppl lied earlier as if matter beyond their jurisdiction,” Tan wrote in a subsequent tweet.

The Bibles seized by the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) from BSM were today returned to Christians in Sarawak through the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) in a formal ceremony at the Selangor palace.

Azmin tweeted: “An amicable resolution to the issue of the seizure of the Malay language Bibles containing the word Allah”.

Along with his tweet, he included a photograph of himself and the Sultan of Selangor watching a handover ceremony of a copy of a Bible to ACS Chairman Rev Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok.

They were handed to Sarawak Christians and not to the peninsula-based BSM as part of the condition that such material was not to be distributed in Selangor, especially among Muslims, said a statement from the Selangor Islamic Religious Council.

- TMI