New body must not be seen as rival

1 June 2015
By Dr Tan Eng Bee, Kajang, Selangor

I REFER to a report on the setting up of the Christians for Peace and Harmony Malaysia (CPHM), headed by the former Secretary-General of the National Evangelical Christian Federation (NECF), the Reverend Wong Kim Kong.

From the report, CPHM may not be looked upon kindly by the different Christian organisations and the Christian community at large.

It was also reported that CPHM has the endorsement from Putrajaya. Unfortunately, Christian organisations, such as the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), and the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM), among others, have distanced themselves from CPHM.

At a time where any peace initiative by any persons or organisations is most welcomed, and which, I thought, is commendable to diffuse the deteriorating racial and religious tension in our motherland, CPHM should have discussed the need for the set-up with different Christian organisations representing different denominations in our country before presenting itself to Putrajaya and the public for acceptance, endorsement and approval.

CPHM should have at least discussed and presented its goals and objectives with national leaders of different denominations and the three national Christian organisations, namely, CFM, CCM and NECF, before pursuing their initiative any further.

The setting up of CPHM is perceived as a rival Christian organisation wanting to divide the unity of Christians and to usurp the other Christian organisations already in place representing the different Christian denominations or communities in our land. At a time when Christians have to act and speak with one voice, any new organisation purportedly representing the community is perceived as a stumbling block to their unity and identity. It will weaken the Christian representation as a unit and a force to be reckon with, with the powers that be.

I doubt Putrajaya wants to see a fragmented, divided and weakened Christian church, as it is better to deal with the three strong firm Christian organisations whose representation is unquestionable, indisputable and all encompassing of the Christians in this land.

Despite what we know from the media about CPHM, I would think the Christian community is better served with the national organisations, such as the CFM, CCM and NECF, which have collectively done a tremendous job in bringing the concerns of the Christian church to the forefront, and attention of the courts and Putrajaya for consideration and adjudication. They have acted with utmost responsibility and commitment, and let none question their integrity and resoluteness in the handling of issues affecting the community.

I doubt we need another Christian organisation to act for the betterment of the Christians, unless the Christian community can be convinced that either these three national organisations have failed their responsibilities to serve them well. By all counts, they spoke up when issues needed to be addressed by Putrajaya or when certain man-made rules and laws were found to be detrimental to Christians. They have carried out their task with utmost respect for the other faiths, in a restrained manner and with courtesy. In fact, the three national Christian organisations have acted with commitment and urgency in a non-confrontational and responsible manner with regard to the issues confronting the Malaysian churches, such as the liberty or freedom to express their faith without interference.

I call upon CPHM to make its stand clear to the Christian community, and, at least, get the endorsement or approval from the three national organisations before moving further. Without consent from the three, I doubt CPHM will make any headway, and in the course of trying to make itself visible and relevant, it may be seen as a catalyst for creating discord and disunity among Christians, despite its noble aim of wanting to promote peace and harmony among the different religious and racial groups.

I am not trying to put down CPHM, but I would want, together with local Christians at large, to see that the newly-created body will not be a stumbling block to the aspiration and wellbeing of the community. We just want to live out our faith and belief.

No offence or malice meant to anyone. Together with the Christians, I pray for peace, harmony, unity and goodwill to prevail for the common good of all religious and racial groups in our beloved land. God bless and prosper Malaysia. 

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/node/86481

Christians say not prosecuting Ibrahim Ali gives carte blanche to extremists

Published: 9 October 2014

Malaysia's main Christian group today expressed outrage over Putrajaya's inaction to prosecute Datuk Ibrahim Ali for his threat to burn Bibles, saying it gave carte blanche to extremists to threaten Christianity and other religions.

"The Christian Federation of Malaysia on behalf of Christians in Malaysia is outraged at the fact that threats to burn our Holy Bible are considered an act in defence of Islam.

"The CFM feels strongly that this position is irresponsible as it gives carte blanche or free rein to other extremists to do likewise, not just to Christians but to any other religious community that is not Muslim," the CFM said in a statement today.

It added that by "no logic or rationalisation and under no circumstances whatsoever can a threat or call to violent action, desecration of another Malaysian citizen's sacred text be considered defensive".

"We strongly protest against the obviously inexcusable position adopted by the government, " it said.

The Christian body was responding to Putrajaya's excuse in not prosecuting Ibrahim over his call last year to burn copies of the Bible containing the word "Allah", saying that the Perkasa president was merely defending Islam.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of law Nancy Shukri said in a parliamentary written reply yesterday that the police concluded that Ibrahim's words were only directed at specific individuals, and not a threat to larger society.

"The statement he made was not intended to cause religious chaos but only to defend the sanctity of Islam," she replied to a question by Bagan MP, Lim Guan Eng, on why Ibrahim had not been charged with sedition.

Ibrahim's call in January last year prompted outrage from politicians and Christian groups, with critics accusing Putrajaya of double-standards in using the Sedition Act against only those who criticised the government while sparing Ibrahim over his remarks.

Nancy, replying on behalf of the prime minister, said investigations by the police into Ibrahim's statement found that what he had said was aimed at the activities of some individuals who allegedly distributed Christian literature outside a school in Penang.

Taking offence with Nancy's reply, CFM today called on parliamentarians to table a motion of censure against the minister for her "scandalous and irresponsible" statement.

"We call upon all right thinking Members of Parliament, irrespective of their ethnicity, religious background or political affiliation to join in passing a motion of censure against the minister for making such a scandalous and irresponsible statement," CFM said.

Meanwhile, the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) said that the minister had made a mockery of Putrajaya's calls for moderation and mutual respect between the religions in the country.

"In the name of civility, any public statement made that threatens the burning of holy books of any religious community is not only repugnant but highly inflammatory. It should never be tolerated," it said in a statement.

"It is sad that the honourable de facto Law Minister, Nancy Shukri, had defended Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali’s call to burn Bibles as committing no wrong in a statement in Parliament." – October 9, 2014

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/christians-say-not-prosecuting-ibrahim-ali-gives-carte-blanche-to-extremist

UiTM seminar was 'hate speech', says CFM

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014

The seminar on Christianity held at a public university yesterday was "hate speech" veiled as academic freedom, the Christian Federation of Malaysia said.

CFM chairperson Eu Hong Seng (right)said this is because there was no attempt for intellectual discussion involving the Christians themselves.

"If there is to be sincere and genuine academic freedom, then let us have an intellectual exchange with integrity instead of a one-sided presentation with arguably inaccurate information being disseminated as fact.

"Otherwise, yesterday's seminar at UiTM would be nothing more than hate speech and sectarian religious propaganda thinly disguised as academic freedom...

"(This) causes a great diminution of scholastic integrity, greater disservice to intellectual honesty, and greatest discredit to the reputation of the public institution," he said in a statement today.

Eu added that academic freedom does not entail presenting things as facts and not allowing interested parties room for rebuttal.

By doing so, he said UiTM had clearly "abused trust and stewardship" as a public institution of higher learning.

CFM, an umbrella body for Christian groups in Malaysia, was commenting on a seminar held at UiTM entitled 'The word 'Allah' and Christology in the Malay Archipelago'.

Anti-Christian material were distributed to the 1,000 students, including those from secondary schools, who attended.

The Muslim speakers presented their interpretations of the Bible and alleged that Christians were on a campaign to convert Muslims in the Malay archipelago.

Earlier, the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF)  expressed concern over the seminar that it said trampled on, rather than tackled, inter-faith issues.

NECF said this was aimed at confusing and prompting Muslim students at the seminar to be prejudiced against people of other faiths.

"One could perhaps ask how Muslims would feel, if followers of other faiths were to invite their experts to interpret how the Quran should be written.

"This seminar smacks of gross insensitivity and goes against the grain of Prime Minister Najib's 1Malaysia policy," NECF secretary-general Eugene Yapp said in a press statement today.

In similar vein, the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) also slammed such extremism.

Although he did not point to the seminar, its CEO and former Umno MP Saifuddin Abdullah urged the government to take action.

"Stop anti-Chinese and anti-Christian sentiments before it turns to something worse.

"Authorities should investigate & act accordingly," Saifuddin wrote on his Twitter account.

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/262137

2013 -- Najib's Two Christmas Messages on Moderation

Najib – Time to prove he is a moderate by deed and conviction not a political chameleon who alternates between moderation and immoderation in his speeches depending on the crowd and occasion

The speeches by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday – one delivered by him at the national-level Christmas Open House in Penang and the other read out for him in Kuala Lumpur by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Paul Low, at the Christian Federation of Malaysia’s Christmas Hi-Tea – should have been received in elation by all reasonable and moderate Malaysians but this time, they failed to evoke such a response.

Why? Is it because men and women of reason and moderation in Malaysia have become extremists rejecting the sentiments of moderation, harmony and co-existence preached by Najib in his two Christmas speeches yesterday?

This cannot be so and it is not so.

In his address at the National Christmas Open House celebration in Penang, Najib said both Christianity and Islam have common roots and are Abrahamic religions.

He noted that the Muslims may not be able to accept the Christian interpretation on the concept of God and vice versa for the Christians.

“So, rather than choosing this path of fighting over these differences, it is better that we find a common ground to preserve the peace, harmony and stability of the country.”

He told both groups to understand the sensitivities of each others’ religions so as not to offend one another.

“Muslims should not hurt the feelings of Christians and likewise, Christians should not hurt the feelings of Muslims.”

Very correct and commendable sentiments. Why should Malaysians be divided by an issue which had not been a cause for contention, dissension and division for the first half-century of the nation’s life?

In his speech prepared for the Christian Federation of Malaysia’s Christmas Hi-Tea, Najib said that a moderate and rational approach was needed to keep Malaysia peaceful and harmonious.

“I always believe that differences in religious faith is not a weakening factor in our society, but rather a strong element in nation building for it serves as a constant reminder that we have so much to share in common, the values which are universally accepted like patriotism, peace, love, kindness, helping the poor and needy, social justice and so on.

“We may differ in our faiths, but we are not divided.”

Men and women of reason and moderation have always been guided by these sentiments and values expounded by Najib yesterday, and they should have been very relieved that the Prime Minister is on the same page with them on the need for national policies to be guided by these principles.

Why then have the reaction to the two Najib speeches yesterday been less than adulatory, if not highly suspicious?

This is because the time has come for Najib, in the second term and fifth year as Malaysia’s sixth Prime Minister, to prove that he is a moderate by deed and conviction and not a political chameleon who alternates between moderation and non-moderation in his speeches depending on the crowd and occasion.

For instance, when Najib took aim at politicians accused of stirring controversy for political gain and without regard for peace and harmony, Malaysians of reason and moderation fully agree with him – except they would disagree on the identity of the “irresponsible politicians” being referred to.

Najib said that he is aware of disagreements due to misunderstanding on certain issues among the people.

“Time and again, these have tested our resolve to remain a tolerant and peaceful nation. Like all tests that have come before, we have been exercising restraint in our responses yet resolute in defending our moderate and harmonious way of life.

“Irresponsible politicians who only seek short-term fame at the expense of harmony, will constantly evoke the sensitivities and fault lines to portray oneself as a hero for political mileage.

“I have always frowned upon such irresponsible conduct and I trust all citizens will view this conduct nothing but a folly.”

To Malaysian men and women, these “irresponsible politicians” described by Najib are mostly to be found in UMNO, and on a number of occasions not excluding Najib himself, which are clearly not the people the Prime Minister has in mind.

This illustrates the wide gulf between the thinking and perceptions of the Prime Minister and Malaysians of reason and moderation.

How can Najib be the national and even international spokesman of moderation when he has to prove to Malaysians of reason and moderation that he is one of their number?

Najib has said that he is not interested in winning an argument or in winning a legal argument as his main concern is on pursuing harmony, peace and stability for the country.

This is a good basis for the ending of the recent worsening religious fault lines in our plural society and I fully endorse the proposal by the Archbishop Emeritus Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam urging the Prime Minister to cement his own call for an end to Muslim-Christian hostility by withdrawing Putrajaya’s legal challenge against the Catholic Church’s use of “Allah”.

The ball is in Najib’s court to act on the message of moderation, harmony and co-existence of his two Christmas speeches yesterday. Will he or won’t he?

Source: http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2013/12/26/najib-time-to-prove-he-is-a-moderate-by-deed-and-conviction-not-a-political-chameleon-who-alternates-between-moderation-and-immoderation-in-his-speeches-depending-on-the-crowd-and-occasion/

Appalled by Umno leaders’ stand, Christians ask Cabinet to enforce 10-point solution to Allah issue

BY V. ANBALAGAN, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
JULY 20, 2013
LATEST UPDATE: JULY 20, 2013 06:26 PM

Malaysia's largest Christian group wants Putrajaya to enforce an agreed 10-point solution on the usage of the Arabic word "Allah" by the community, saying today it was appalled by statements made by two Umno leaders on the matter.

Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) chairman Rev Dr Eu Hong Seng said statements by Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir and Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan "were untenable and in flagrant disregard of the 10-point
solution decided by the Cabinet in April 2011".

"The use of the word “Allah” in the Al-Kitab is NOT and has NEVER been an error of printing as claimed by the Honourable Minister. Such a suggestion is insensitive, insulting and inflammatory.

"We reiterate that it is the express right of the Christian community to use the word 'Allah'," Eu said in a statement today.

"It is offensive and unacceptable for the Honourable Minister to attempt to justify the call by Ibrahim Ali to burn our Holy Scripture by saying that our Holy Scripture contains errors in printing," he added.

Eu pointed out that the 10 points were specifically communicated to the CFM in a letter dated 11 April 2011 from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. The letter was enclosed in the statement.

"It is offensive and unacceptable for the Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan to attempt to justify Ibrahim Ali's call to burn our Holy Scripture by saying that our Holy Scripture contains errors in
printing," Eu said.

He said Mukhriz was reported to have forbidden non-Muslims from using the word “Allah” in his state as it is unconstitutional.

"The Federal Constitution gives the right to every individual to profess and practise his religion and also gives every religious group the right to manage its own religious affairs," he added.

Eu said the cabinet must honour and enforce all aspects of the 10-point solution and ensure it is followed all levels of government and authorities.

"The rights guaranteed to all religious communities under the Federal Constitution must be respected in all states in our beloved country, including Kedah," he said.

In the 10-point resolution, the cabinet, through its minister Datuk Seri Idris Jala, assured the sizeable Bumiputera Christian population in Sabah and Sarawak that they were free to bring in and use their
bibles in Malay as well as in indigenous languages.

The Court of Appeal will hear on August 22 the government's appeal to a High Court decision in 2009 that allowed the Catholic Church to use the word in its Bahasa Malaysia publications.

The controversy was reignited this past week when Vatican City's first Apostolic Nuncio or ambassador to Malaysia, Archbishop Joseph Marino, voiced his support for the CFM’s stand. He has since offered his apologies if his support to use the word had offended Malaysians.

Several right-wing Malay Muslim groups have asked Putrajaya to expel the envoy for his remarks despite the apology. – July 20, 2013.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/appalled-by-umno-leaders-stand-on-allah-issue-christians-ask-cabinet-to-enf

Group deplores anti-Christian billboards in polls drive

12:22PM May 1, 2013

The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) is appalled by anti-Christian messages on two election campaign billboards and wants the Election Commission to pull them down.

Describing such acts as despicable, CFM chairperson Dr Eu Hon Seng said the message pits the Muslims against Christians by spreading fear and scare tactics over the issue of 'Allah' where the Kuala Lumpur High Court has allowed its usage as part of the right to freedom of religion.

"CFM and other Christian leaders have in the past said that bumiputera Christians, whose only common language is Bahasa Malaysia, have used the Bible in BM and the word 'Allah' for centuries, without any resistance until recently.

"Hence, it is extremely mischievous and malicious to pit Muslims against Christians, who have always enjoyed good relationship, to gain political points with such blatant misinformation," Eu said in a statement.

"Christians and all right-thinking Malaysians should rightly condemn such inflammatory election campaign billboards and all such campaign materials.

"We strongly urge the EC to immediately remove such billboards and materials. 

"The authorities should investigate and charge the persons responsible," Eu said, urging Malaysians to also report such billboards or campaign materials to the police.

The billboards carry the message "Do you want to see your grandchildren praying in this Allah’s house?" and two pictures of churches with the cross and the words “"Gereja Allah".

However, CFM did not state the locations of the billboards.

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/228639

CFM MEDIA STATEMENT: PROPOSED BIBLE-BURNING AN ABHORRENT ACT

CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA
(PERSEKUTUAN KRISTIAN MALAYSIA)
Address: 26 Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Mobile : + 6016 3689543
Email: cfmsia@yahoo.co.uk

22nd January 2013
   
CFM MEDIA STATEMENT

PROPOSED BIBLE-BURNING AN ABHORRENT ACT  

This morning a notice was found in the post box of a Christian priest in Butterworth which
provided information that there would be a "pesta" of burning the Bahasa Melayu version of
the Bible and inviting people to attend.

This terrible event is to be held this Sunday 27th January 2013 at 10am in front of the Dewan
Ahmad Badawi at the Bagan Luar municipality field in Butterworth.

The Christian Federation of Malaysia vehemently abhors this Bible-burning proposed action
which was first mooted by the Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali who is also the Member of
Parliament for Pasir Mas and now it seems someone or a group (the Anti-Bahasa Melayu
Bible Action Group) has threatened to make Bible-burning a reality this Sunday on a day
most sacred to Christians as they worship the Almighty God.

All religious Scriptures are sacred books and we should not threaten to burn them or to
desecrate any such holy book in any manner.  

Christians are peace-loving people who will continue to seek peace and harmony across all
religious groups for the well-being of our great country. We pray that good sense and
moderation will prevail for all people in times such as these.

We call on those who desire to foment hatred for political gain to cease and desist from such
a vile act -  an act unbecoming of us as Malaysians who uphold the Rukunegara of  which the
first pillar is "Belief in God".  

CFM encourages all Malaysians and especially the Christians to be in prayer that such a thing
will not happen in our beloved Malaysia.  

May the Almighty God confound the plans of such devious people who threaten to burn the
Holy Scripture of the Christians in the Bahasa Melayu version.

Bishop Datuk Ng Moon Hing 
Chairman and the Executive Committee  
The Christian Federation of Malaysia

After 400 years of ‘Allah’ in bibles, CFM says to stick with practice

By Debra Chong
Assistant News Editor

January 09, 2013

The Christian Federation of Malaysia, an umbrella body representing 90 per cent of churches nationwide, says Christians has a constitutional right to describe its god as ‘Allah’, saying the word has been in Malay-language bibles for more than 400 years. – Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 – The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) maintains its constitutional right to describe its god as “Allah”, saying the word has been in Malay-language bibles for more than 400 years – as a Selangor royal decree threatens to restrict the right of non-Islamic religious worship.

The Selangor Sultan has yesterday issued a decree banning non-Muslims in the state from using the word “Allah”.

The umbrella body representing 90 per cent of churches nationwide said Christians here said the Arabic word is being used by “all Bahasa Malaysia-speaking church congregations especially the Orang Asli Christians, the Baba Christians and Sabahan and Sarawakian Christians including those who are residing in the various states of West Malaysia”.

“In accordance with Article 11 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, CFM affirms every person’s right to profess and practice his religion and in this connection, the churches’ freedom to use the Holy Bible in Bahasa Malaysia, the Alkitab, in all our church services, meetings and in our homes,” its chairman Bishop Datuk Ng Moon Hing said in a statement today.

The latest row arose after Selangor’s religious authority said it would enforce a blanket ban on non-Muslim use of the word, despite a High Court ruling in December 2009 that the word “Allah” was not restricted to Muslims and the Catholic Church had the right to publish the word in the Malay section of its weekly newspaper, Herald.

Sikhs, who also lay claim to use of the word in their holy texts, are similarly affected by the state law.

In recent years, the Christian and Muslim religious communities have been engaged in a tug-of-war over the word “Allah”, with the latter group arguing that its use should be exclusive to them on the grounds that Islam is monotheistic and the word “Allah” denotes the Muslim god.

Christians, however, counter that they have a legitimate and constitutional right to also call their god “Allah” based on historical records.

The “Dictionarium Malaico-Latin and Latino-Malaicum” was first published in 1631 by the Vatican Press in Rome.

Church officials say it is historical proof that its missionaries had played a key role in the exchange of knowledge and culture between Europe and Southeast Asia some 400 years ago.

Reverend Lawrence Andrew, who had worked for the past 11 years to reprint the dictionary, previously told The Malaysian Insider it was crucial to counter the mistaken belief that the spread of Christianity through local languages in Malaysia was a recent 20th-century phenomenon.

“It’s to say it’s been here for a long time... 400 years,” the editor of the country’s sole Catholic weekly newspaper, Herald, told The Malaysian Insider in an interview two years ago.

The Catholic Church had challenged the Home Ministry for the right to use the word “Allah” to describe God in the Christian context and had won in a landmark ruling at the High Court on New Year’s Eve in 2009.

But the paper is unable to use it as the ministry managed to get a stay pending its appeal which has been languishing at the Court of Appeal for the past three years.

Veteran lawyers have said there is little the church can do speed up the process as there are no rules on a time limit; adding it was not unusual for a case to be called years after being filed.

Andrew had submitted a copy of the dictionary as historical evidence to back the church’s suit after the ministry tendered several essays by Islamic scholars from the influential Institute of Islamic Understanding here supporting its case.

St Francis Xavier was instrumental in romanising the Malay language, which was used widely but had no written form in Southeast Asia then.

The Vatican’s former representative to Malaysia, Archbishop Luigi Bressan, had observed that the Holy See had as early as 1622 set up a special printing office to spread its Catholic Christian doctrine worldwide, and had marked the importance of Malay in that role.

Bressan, who was the Apostolic Delegate to Malaysia from July 26, 1993 to March 25, 1999, was crucial in reproducing the historical document.

The Italian archbishop remarked that Jesuit missionaries had “distinguished themselves” in translating the new Asian languages into Latin and European languages, in his notes to his essay “A 17th-Century Roman Dictionary of the Malay Language” that was also published as a sort of foreword in the 2010 reprint.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/after-400-years-of-allah-in-bibles-cfm-says-to-stick-with-practice/

Bishop demurs over PM Najib’s Christmas Day remarks

Terence Netto

26 Dec 2012

Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing described Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s remarks at a hi-tea hosted by the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) yesterday as “pious platitudes we are used to hearing on these occasions”.

Speaking to Malaysiakini after reading reports on web news portals on Najib’s remarks at the CFM function which the prelate did not attend, bishop Tan said:

“I don’t want to sound churlish, particularly in this Christmas season of goodwill, but if you shake down the PM’s rhetoric, what have you left – syrupy sentiment and clichés that have little or no connection with realities on the ground.”

In remarks made at the Christmas Day hi-tea attended by the PM and his wife Rosmah Mansor, Najib assured the Christian community that they have not been marginalised.

“I don’t want to be prime minister for only a particular section of the community,” asserted Najib. “I’m prime minister for all Malaysians, and I’ve said that repeatedly.”

Bishop Tan said that no one with experience of how prime ministers have run the Malaysian nation would think to remark that there could be an ethnocentric and exclusivist dimension to the PM’s role.

“It’s odd that Najib has seen fit to remark that he has to be PM of all of our diverse nation and not just one or another part of it,” commented the head of the Catholic Church of the Melaka-Johor diocese whose two-year tenure as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei ends on Dec 31.

“That he has to say a thing like that shows how far his office has tended to depart from a broad-gauged conception of its responsibilities that now there is the suspicion that it is enthralled to exclusivist notions of its actual import,” commented the Jesuit-trained prelate.

“If he had a broad view of his office, how come when Christians were accused over the last two years of not just being ‘pendatang’ but sinister fifth-columnists, there was not a word from official quarters to stem that patently false accusation which was aimed at creating suspicion and hatred for Christians on the part of the Muslim majority of this country?” queried the bishop.

Promises not kept

The prelate said that as a founding member of the Malaysian Consultative Congress of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism – founded in 1984 – and as one-time leader of the CFM, he had met, in MCCBCHST and CFM’s roles, three Malaysian prime ministers (Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak) and “all three had not kept the promises they made at the dialogues we have had with them.”

“All three were benign and reassuring in personal interaction with MCCBCHST and CFM councils but were something else when faced with testing circumstances involving religious matters as and when issues fizzled in the public arena,” recalled the bishop.

“So it’s deja vu as far as I’m concerned with respect to the latest assurance from the present prime minister.”

The bishop said Christians have grown leery of periodic assurances from the government that their contributions to education, welfare and heath care were not forgotten when the realities on the ground suggest that “their role must be muted or diminished for reason that others should not feel inferior by comparison.”

“For the good of our society, this is not a predicament that Christians can abide anymore for reason that their light cannot be hidden under a bushel and their truth frees and holds no one in bondage,” said the bishop.

“I feel this determination will register soon on our polity to the benefit of those political leaders who elect to tack with it in a creative manner and to the disadvantage of those who mean to tackle it in a merely politically expedient and vote-catching way.”

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/217426

Church leaders happy with Najib’s pledge, but wary it won’t trickle down

By Zurairi AR

December 26, 2012

Najib had reassured the Christian community in Malaysia on Christmas Day yesterday that the government recognised them as an essential part of the nation. – Picture by Saw Siow Feng

PETALING JAYA, Dec 26 – Church leaders are happy with Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s pledge to the Christian community, but expressed concern that the prime minister’s message will not filter down to conservatives and extremist elements in his party and government.

Najib had reassured the Christian community in Malaysia on Christmas Day yesterday that the government recognised them the as an essential part of the nation. Christians form about nine per cent of the country’s 28 million population.

“I hope that was not only from him alone, but it (also) has to be from the other part of the government,” Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) chairman Datuk Ng Moon Hing told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

CFM, the umbrella body of all Christian denominations in the country, organised its annual Christmas Day party attended by all political leaders.

Ng’s view was mirrored by the Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, who said the prime minister needs courage, determination and consistent effort to accomplish his promises.

“Hopefully he can get his whole team to (work at it),” Pakiam said.

The church leaders agreed that Najib’s attendance in the Christmas event was a nice gesture towards the Christian community, but would be for naught if he failed to confront extremists elements in his party and the government.

“What’s troubling to Christians is that the government has not spoken up to the extremists what its views are,” said Hermen Shastri, the general secretary from the Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM).

The CCM is an ecumenical fellowship of churches and Christian organisations that are part of the larger Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) representing 90 per cent of the country’s 2.8 million Christians.

Last year, Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia published a report entitled Kristian Agama Rasmi? (“Christianity the official religion?”), where it was alleged that DAP leaders and Christian clergymen were conspiring to take over Putrajaya, abolish Islam as the religion of the federation and install a Christian prime minister.

In the aftermath of the report, Malay supremacist group Perkasa and its president Datuk Ibrahim Ali threatened Christians nationwide with a holy war against any move to usurp Islam with a Christian state.

Najib then meet church leaders to clear the air but the Home Ministry had only slapped the daily with a warning letter for publishing the unsubstantiated report.

Shastri warned that by not taking any action on extremists, it will undo and make difficult the plans that the PM wants to accomplish.

“(This will happen) as long as some groups keep on saying that Christians are a threat,” Shastri said.

The church leaders have listed several issues affecting the Christian community that has yet to be addressed by the government, with the issue of insufficient land for religious sites chief among them.

“What we felt previously is that there are certain issues that the government could be more upfront (with) when dealing with them,” confessed Philip Kok, a bishop with the Lutheran Church of Malaysia.

“I think a lot of time, (we are facing) a struggle against bureaucracy. Some difficulties looked like it was (a problem with policy), but then the policy is interpreted in a different light,” Ng explained.

According to Ng, churches receive no land allocation from the government, which makes it hard for them to build more cemetery sites and buildings to cater to a growing number of Christian population.

The Anglican bishop also revealed that the lease for some sites of missionary schools have expired, yet their application for lease extension had not been entertained.

“The government is not paying for the schools actually, the mission schools belong to the mission board,” he said, adding that the government refused to consult the board when appointing headmasters and principals for the schools.

“It reflects bad on the government,” Ng said.

Pakiam claimed that infringements against Christians’ right are happening with alarming regularity.

“The Allah issue of course we have some sort of agreement and hopefully it will not flare up again in the future,” spoke Kok.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had urged the federal government on Monday to allow the use of the word “Allah” in the Bible, to prove that the authority are really putting the people first.

“It looks small, it looks petty but it affects people on the ground,” Ng stressed.

Kok however, was more upbeat on what the Christian community should expect from the prime minister.

“The speech was very comforting ... his presence shows that the government is sincere in building up relationship with the Christian community.

“As long as we’re open to dialogues, open for conversations, we can come up with solutions to these challenges. It is normal in a country as diverse as Malaysia,” Kok said.

“It takes time, we can understand, but he has to determinedly go at it,” encouraged Pakiam.

In recent years, the Christian and Muslim religious communities have been engaged in a tug-of-war over the word “Allah”, with the latter group arguing that its use should be exclusive to them on the grounds that Islam is monotheistic and the word “Allah” denotes the Muslim god.

Christians, however, have argued that “Allah” is an Arabic word that has been used by those of other religious beliefs, including the Jews, in reference to God in many other parts of the world, notably in Arab nations and Indonesia.

Conservative Muslim groups have also accused Christians of attempting to convert Malays, resulting in heightened tension between followers of the two religions.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/church-leaders-happy-with-najibs-pledge-but-wary-it-wont-trickle-down/