Christians should not make fools of themselves over Alkitab, says Sarawak BN leader

By Shannon Teoh

March 24, 2011

PETALING JAYA, March 23 — A Sarawak deputy federal minister said tonight that Christians in the state should not “make fools of themselves” as the 30,000 Malay language bibles detained in Kuching have already been released.

Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said that if Christians “come out and say that we want the bibles, they will get it.”

“If they want to make fools of themselves, we will not respond,” the deputy minister for information communication and culture said of a series of prayer rallies that Sarawak Christians have planned, beginning tonight.

The Sarawak Ministers Fellowship said that it expects 2,000 to gather tonight despite the government having ordered the release of the Alkitab that were seized two years ago.

With Sarawak heading to the polls on April 16, the issue is expected to weigh heavily on the minds of Christians in Sarawak, who make up nearly half of the state’s population.

The ongoing row over the Alkitab — as the Malay-language bibles are called here — started in January and came to a head last week after the home ministry stamped the two separate shipments with its official seal before ordering their release.

The Christian importers have denounced the Najib administration for the act, which they say is a desecration of their holy book.

Yesterday, the government backed down and offered to paste over the marked Alkitab with labels that simply read “For Christianity”.

The Parti Rakyat Sarawak vice president, who said he was a Catholic himself, said Christians were supposed to be forgiving and that the bibles should not be an issue for them in next month’s elections.

BN held 63 of the 71 seats in the Sarawak state assembly which was dissolved on Monday.

The opposition hopes to make gains on the back of the bible issue as well as allegations of corruption against Chief Minister Ran Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
The Malayisan Insider
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Typical Dayak leader. Datuk Joseph Salang, your are the foolish ONE. You have been fool By UMNO @ BN regime. I cannot believe a dayak leader and christian leader had backstabbing his own community just to gain its own political agenda. You Joe Salang, had gone too far this time around. Someday, there a somebody who will pray and curse you. I really shame on YOU.
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