KOTA KINABALU: With prejudice and malice running rife in Peninsular Malaysia, Pakatan Rakyat chief for Sabah and Sarawak Jeffrey Kitingan (picture) sees ordinary people in both Borneo states playing a balancing role in Malaysia’s divisive political culture.
The outspoken former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee also sees the people of the two states providing a wiser perspective on religious issues in the country.
Jeffrey believes there is an urgent need to push forward the idea of peaceful co-existence, keeping in mind the sensitivities of the people in the two Borneo states.
“There is a need to bring in the two states into the picture, since there might be areas of ignorance that we need to correct,” the KadazanDusun leader said in acknowledging the call by Zaid Ibrahim, the PR pro-tem head for the formation of an Inter-Faith Advisory Council.
The council he foresees would reache out to people of all faiths and follow a “from the people approach” unlike the federal government’s top-down Inter-Faith Commission.
“We need to focus on what brings us together as a people rather than what separates us.”
However, he criticised the calls by the Sabah Justices of the Peace and their president Clarence Bongkos Malakun for a compromise by Christians on the Allah issue and said they were misguided.
He said the Sabah JPs were suggesting a face-saving formula for the government over the fiasco.
“We don’t agree with their (JPs) duality in approach on religious issues,” he said. “The only duality that is recognised in law is the autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak.”
He said that Malakun’s use of the word “compromise” was tantamount to “surrendering one’s constitutional rights.”
“I don’t think even one sane person in Sabah and Sarawak will agree with Malakun, except for the organisations which have been infiltrated by illegal immigrants,” he said in a interview picked up by the online media.
“They try to use religious muscle-power to mask their illegality and ingratiate themselves with local Muslims,” he said.
“As a God-fearing man, he (Malakun) should have not made such an ignorant and cowardly statement. He should be ashamed of himself. He brings discredit to the JPs as well.”
Jeffrey said he received many calls from members of the public on Malakun’s “offending statement.” Many felt that it was “appeasement of Umno and an illegal one at that.”
He decried the “My Allah is not the same as your Allah” approach taken by a “strident minority” which has resulted in a spate of arson attacks in various parts of the country as police mainly looked on.
“We cannot have the police going around thinking that they are here to defend members of just one faith’” he said. “That’s against the law and the federal constitution. The rights of everyone under the constitution must be respected and defended.”
The answer lies in inter-faith dialogues not degenerating into theological discussions, he said.
“Even the slightest hint of theology is enough to send the Muslims away from the path of dialogue.”
Jeffrey urged Umno to take up the challenge as well and participate in the inter-faith dialogues planned by the opposition coalition.
He said there was a need for the ruling federal party to re-invent itself in line with the 1Malaysia idea espoused by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
“We know that there are severe differences within the Umno hierarchy on whether it’s proper to politicise Islam and religious issues to play to the gallery,” he said.
“Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh, for example, is deeply ashamed of how his party has been handling the Allah issue.”
Jeffrey sees a significant faction of Umno eventually breaking away and making common cause with PAS, a key component of PR.
He also urged people to examine the public statements of government officials and also the silence of a large number of them on the “Allah” and other religious issues.
They should also be wary and expose the attempts by some to politicise issues to suit their selfish agenda, he warned.
FMT
13/01/2010
The outspoken former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee also sees the people of the two states providing a wiser perspective on religious issues in the country.
Jeffrey believes there is an urgent need to push forward the idea of peaceful co-existence, keeping in mind the sensitivities of the people in the two Borneo states.
“There is a need to bring in the two states into the picture, since there might be areas of ignorance that we need to correct,” the KadazanDusun leader said in acknowledging the call by Zaid Ibrahim, the PR pro-tem head for the formation of an Inter-Faith Advisory Council.
The council he foresees would reache out to people of all faiths and follow a “from the people approach” unlike the federal government’s top-down Inter-Faith Commission.
“We need to focus on what brings us together as a people rather than what separates us.”
However, he criticised the calls by the Sabah Justices of the Peace and their president Clarence Bongkos Malakun for a compromise by Christians on the Allah issue and said they were misguided.
He said the Sabah JPs were suggesting a face-saving formula for the government over the fiasco.
“We don’t agree with their (JPs) duality in approach on religious issues,” he said. “The only duality that is recognised in law is the autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak.”
He said that Malakun’s use of the word “compromise” was tantamount to “surrendering one’s constitutional rights.”
“I don’t think even one sane person in Sabah and Sarawak will agree with Malakun, except for the organisations which have been infiltrated by illegal immigrants,” he said in a interview picked up by the online media.
“They try to use religious muscle-power to mask their illegality and ingratiate themselves with local Muslims,” he said.
“As a God-fearing man, he (Malakun) should have not made such an ignorant and cowardly statement. He should be ashamed of himself. He brings discredit to the JPs as well.”
Jeffrey said he received many calls from members of the public on Malakun’s “offending statement.” Many felt that it was “appeasement of Umno and an illegal one at that.”
He decried the “My Allah is not the same as your Allah” approach taken by a “strident minority” which has resulted in a spate of arson attacks in various parts of the country as police mainly looked on.
“We cannot have the police going around thinking that they are here to defend members of just one faith’” he said. “That’s against the law and the federal constitution. The rights of everyone under the constitution must be respected and defended.”
The answer lies in inter-faith dialogues not degenerating into theological discussions, he said.
“Even the slightest hint of theology is enough to send the Muslims away from the path of dialogue.”
Jeffrey urged Umno to take up the challenge as well and participate in the inter-faith dialogues planned by the opposition coalition.
He said there was a need for the ruling federal party to re-invent itself in line with the 1Malaysia idea espoused by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
“We know that there are severe differences within the Umno hierarchy on whether it’s proper to politicise Islam and religious issues to play to the gallery,” he said.
“Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh, for example, is deeply ashamed of how his party has been handling the Allah issue.”
Jeffrey sees a significant faction of Umno eventually breaking away and making common cause with PAS, a key component of PR.
He also urged people to examine the public statements of government officials and also the silence of a large number of them on the “Allah” and other religious issues.
They should also be wary and expose the attempts by some to politicise issues to suit their selfish agenda, he warned.
FMT
13/01/2010
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