The whole world is tuned-in to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Japan following the nuclear meltdown and radiation leak caused by the after-math of the devastating tsunami, whilst in Malaysia the DESECRATION of Bibles and SEX has been the No.1 priority of the Malaysian Government & its cronies.
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We Pray for religious freedom in Malaysia, that God will grant our authorities much wisdom, justice and fairness in upholding constitutional freedom of religion for our multiracial, multi-religious nation.
.Malaysian Christians found their Holy Bibles returned to them DEFACED and DESECRATED. The defaced Bible is now imprinted with a serial number, obviously to facilitate the authorities threatening to track every copy of the Alkitab used by the community.
In a strongly-worded statement titled 'Holy Scriptures Desecrated', the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) called the decision to stamp and include serial numbers in the Bible as an act of 'desecration' and 'defacement'.
“The Christian community in Malaysia is deeply hurt that the government has desecrated and defaced the Bible and has refused to accept the Bibles.
“The Christian community in Malaysia is deeply hurt that the government has desecrated and defaced the Bible and has refused to accept the Bibles.
The Christian community said today it is appalled by what it says is the Najib administration’s desecration of 5,100 holy books shipped in from Indonesia and has flat out refused to collect the Port Klang shipment.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), which represents over 90 per cent of churches in the country, insisted that Putrajaya immediately drop the conditions imposed for the release of two shipments of Malay Bibles totalling 35,000 copies seized from Port Klang and Kuching port.
Last night, the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) was told its shipment of 5,100 Alkitab — as the Malay Bibles are called — have been stamped with the Home Ministry’s official seal, as per the conditions imposed for the release issued two days ago, without its prior permission.
The first requires the importers to directly stamp on the cover of each of the 35,000 copies the following words: “Peringatan: ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ ini untuk kegunaan penganut agama Kristian sahaja. Dengan perintah Menteri Dalam Negeri.” [In English: “Reminder: This ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ is for the use of Christians only. By order of the Home Minister.”]
The cover of the Alkitab would be stamped with the department’s official seal and dated as well.
The second condition requires the importers to stamp a serial number on each copy as if to demarcate copies from the released shipment and to enable the book to be traced back to the port of import.
“This means that the Bahasa Malaysia Bible is now treated as a restricted item, and the Word of God has been made subject to the control of man. This is wholly offensive to Christians,” CFM said in a strongly-worded statement today signed by its chairman Bishop Ng Moon Hing.
The umbrella body refuted government claims it had reached a compromise, saying it had never agreed that its holy books should be endorsed to say “it is only for Christians”.
“Any person who respects the Holy Scriptures of any religion would be appalled by this action. We will never accede to any desecration of the Bible since the Word of God to us is sacred,” it said.
Pointing to a 1982 order issued under the Internal Security Act (ISA), the CFM said nowhere in law was it stated that any form of words had to be endorsed on any copy of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia.
“Given that copies may already have been endorsed, we will NOT take delivery of those endorsed copies,” it added.
The CFM said it also wholly rejects the federal government’s argument that the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia is “prejudicial to the national interest and security of Malaysia”.
It condemned the government’s treatment of its holy books as “subversive publication”.
The CFM said Christian Malaysians have always acted in good faith and with great patience to reach a peaceful end to religious dispute that would not compromise their beliefs.
“But that good faith has not been reciprocated by the government,” it said.
It further accused Putrajaya of having moved the “goal posts” over the years “through a systematic imposition of unreasonable conditions and restrictions”.
“As Christians we wonder how our Holy Scriptures can become a national security threat where countless number of us find it helpful in bringing hope and healing to broken lives and homes which we can testify to,” it said.
The CFM called on all Malaysians to rally together and reject all attempts to control the freedom of religion in the country.
STATUS REPORT : March 31, 2011
PETALING JAYA: The 30,000 copies of Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia (AlKitab) are still left uncollected in Kuching.
A source from the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), said The Gideons, one of the two importers of the Bibles detained by the Home Ministry, said the Bibles were still in the ministry's possession.
“The Gideons said that they will consult with their various stakeholders, including donors of the book and church leaders in Sarawak, to decide on their next step,” he said in an interview, adding that The Gideons would notify CFM if they decided to take the Bibles.
The 30,000 copies of Perjanjian Baru, Mazmur dan Amsal or New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs, which cost US$26,000 (RM78,000), were meant for Christians in Sarawak.
They were confiscated at the Kuching Port on Jan 12.
A previous shipment of 5,100 Bibles, imported by Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM), were impounded in Port Klang in March 2009.
On Wednesday, BSM said it had collected the 5,100 Bibles and would not distribute them, but instead “preserve them as museum pieces”.
BSM said in a press statement that the copies could not be sold to Christian buyers after they had been defaced.
On the location of the Bibles and the museum, the society's general secretary Reverend Dr Simon Wong said they would disclose the details later, once they were ready.
“No timeframe has been set on when we will reach the decision,” he said yesterday.
BSM said it decided to collect the copies to “prevent the possibility of further acts of desecration or disrespect being committed against the holy books of the Christians by the ministry and its officers.”
It also said the society suffered a loss of RM70,000 since the holy books, which were detained by the Home Ministry for two years, would not go on sale.
The society claimed that the ministry's officers stamped all copies without prior permission from BSM about two weeks ago.
BSM also rejected the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Datuk Seri Idris Jala's offer that certain Christian donors were offering to pay for the cost of all the Bibles that have already been stamped and serialised.
“BSM wishes to make its stand clear that we will only accept a cheque from the Home Ministry and will not accept any money from so-called Christian donors',” it said. (source: The Star)
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Humility is not a weakness by Terence .. senior editor at theSun
THE Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) may be blamed for breaking the impasse between the Christian community and the government over the detention of over 30,000 Bibles in Port Klang and Kuching Port. It will be seen as splitting the Christians, who have held firm – till now – to the principle that the stamped and serialised Bahasa Malaysia holy books, the Al-Kitab, cannot be collected as they have been "desecrated".
Terence is senior editor at theSun and can be reached at terence@thesundaily.com
Updated: 09:58AM Fri, 01 Apr 2011
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Humility is not a weakness by Terence .. senior editor at theSun
THE Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) may be blamed for breaking the impasse between the Christian community and the government over the detention of over 30,000 Bibles in Port Klang and Kuching Port. It will be seen as splitting the Christians, who have held firm – till now – to the principle that the stamped and serialised Bahasa Malaysia holy books, the Al-Kitab, cannot be collected as they have been "desecrated".
If anything, the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) wants the Bibles, which have been impounded for more than two years, to be a symbol of religious persecution and testimony to the flip-flopping of government policies when it comes to matters of the faith.
But as true Christians will tell you, humility is one of the tenets of the faith. Taking the first steps to break the deadlock is not a sign of weakness and compromise – although many would see it as that. Also, it is their duty to protect the Bible which they believe contains the word of God.
As the BSM articulated on Wednesday, the Al-Kitab has been through enough abuse and true Christians would not want to subject it to further grief, desecration or defacement. The released Bibles will be made into a Berlin Wall-like monument – a museum piece as a reminder of this sad event.
Those who view it as a victory for the authorities should think again. The whole episode stinks of one-upmanship and fickle policies that are inconsistent with the 1Malaysia mantra.
This scribe has heard that even the prime minister had asked his cabinet colleagues: "Why are we doing this to the Christians?" No answers – not that are acceptable – were forthcoming.
While the country’s leaders go into damage-control mode, they must realise that making frequent flights to Sabah and Sarawak will not be enough to soothe wounds and repair reputations. Foreign publications, news wires and portals including Vatican media are watching events here with a keen eye. The fragile social fabric that has bound us for decades seems to have been compromised.
It is bad enough that churches are now "forced" to operate from shop-lots and old factories in industrial zones. Even erecting crosses is subject to strict regulations by the local authorities.
All the goodwill emanating from the Molotov cocktail attacks on several churches early last year, which brought the country’s leaders and Muslims together in defence of the Christian community has all but dissipated.
It is going to be painstaking work to rebuild the goodwill that all communities have enjoyed all this while. It is going to be an awkward Christmas this year. While we revel in the open house festivities where leaders mingle with the people over fruitcake and sparkling grape juice, the events of the early part of 2011 will be simmering beneath the surface. Hopefully no overzealous official will add insult to injury by asking that Christian symbols be removed before the prime minister arrives – as was the case last year.
The prime minister himself is a St John’s alumnus. Here and at Nottingham University, crucifixes and Bibles and Christian prayer and other symbols are all around. This never affected him or influenced his obligations as a good Muslim.
One is certain that Datuk Seri Najib Razak does not stand alone and there are Muslims like him who are wondering "why are we doing this to the Christians?"
As Najib’s predecessor once said, "It is the obligation of the majority in this country to protect the rights of the minorities." Many have forgotten this message or have refused to acknowledge it, fearing that it will not be politically expedient to do so.
I am not a religious person, but I do say a little prayer everyday for myself: "Please help me to do the right thing, even if it is the most difficult thing to do." Today, I extend this prayer to those who lead us.
Updated: 09:58AM Fri, 01 Apr 2011
