“I don’t want to see or even hear of another incident involving the
seizure of our Bibles. Don’t let it happen again,” the outspoken Land
Development Minister from Sarawak.
He was commenting on the return of the seized Bibles today to the
Association of Churches in Sarawak which signalled an end to the
religious saga that hogged the nation since January this year.
The release of 321 copies of the holy book, however, came with two
conditions; one, that they are not to be distributed in Selangor,
especially among Muslims, and two, they are only for Christians in
Sarawak.
Nevertheless, for Christians throughout the country, news of the
release of the Malay and Iban-language Bibles was a welcome relief.
Arguing that the seizure was illegal in the first place as it went
against the Federal Constitution, which guaranteed freedom of worship,
Masing felt that some overzealous officials had gone overboard.
“It’s illegal in the first place…even the AG has ordered the Bibles to
be returned. They should not have detained the holy book until now,” he
said.
The minister appeared upset with the conditions that the Iban-language
Bibles should not be distributed in Selangor and could only be used in
Sarawak.
His concern is understandable as there is a sizable Sarawak population
in Selangor who are Christians. And this group has been using the Malay
and Iban-language Bibles.
So what happens to the thousands of Sarawak Christians residing in
Selangor who have all along been using the Iban-language Bibles?
Says Masing: “There should be no restriction for Sarawak Christians in
Selangor as long as these Bibles are only for them. Of course it would
be wrong if they are given to non-Christians.”
The controversy began in January this year when Selangor Islamic
Religious Department (Jais) officials seized the Bibles from the Bible
of Society of Malaysia (BSM) on grounds that the Bibles violated a 1988
Selangor enactment which prohibited non-Muslims from using the word
"Allah".
The Bibles were handed to the chairman of the Association of Churches
in Sarawak, Rev Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok, in a simple ceremony at
the Istana Alam Shah in Klang witnessed by Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin
Idris Shah and Menteri Besar Azmin Ali.
After the ceremony, Azmin had twitted that an “amicable solution” had been reached.
Unlike his predecessor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, Azmin had taken a
tougher stand and stood up for the Christian community, arguing that
the Bibles did not belong to the Muslims and therefore should be
returned to the Christians.
“Islam has never asked its followers to disrupt the harmony of other
faiths. It is our duty to respect the practice of the other religions in
the country. This is a multi-religious society. This is not Saudi
Arabia or Sudan. This is Malaysia. This is Selangor.”
His remarks were welcomed by the Christian community.
The MCA, meanwhile, in urging Azmin to ensure there is no repeat of the
fiasco, regrets the condition which prohibits the distribution of the
Iban-language Bibles in Selangor.
The party’s Syariah Law and Policy Implementation Special Task Force
chairman Gan Ping Siew questioned how Sarawak and Sabah Bumiputeras
working in the armed forces, police force, civil service or studying on
the peninsular alongside with Orang Asli Christians whose first language
is Bahasa Malaysia would refer to their scriptures.
He called on state governments to look into the relevant provisions in
the state enactments to enable Malay-speaking Christian Bumiputeras and
Orang Aslis to have access to Bahasa Malaysia or native-language
versions of the Bible in their homes and places of worship in the
peninsula.
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