COMMENT The current Sarawak state election is a God-sent opportunity for the Christians in Malaysia to unite and mobilize themselves to exercise their voting right to send a strong message to the Barisan Nasional regime that enough is enough.
Christians need to unite in unceasing prayers and go all out to campaign and vote to preserve and protect their fundamental human, civil and constitutional rights to freedom of worship using the full vocabulary of their national language without restraints and limitation.
The unilateral detention of thousands of copies of the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible, and the degrading stamping of the holy books by the Home Ministry are matters Christians cannot accept and compromise on.
The kurang ajar way in which Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has dismissed the Christian protest against such disrespectful and undignified treatment of their Scriptures as being “unreasonable” is really demeaning and insulting to the Christian community in Malaysia.
What is so unreasonable in protesting against the violation of their fundamental human, civil and constitutional rights to practice and propagate their faith in their own national language, and to challenge the dastardly desecration of their Scriptures and the treatment of their Bible like a subversive document?
What is actually unreasonable, unjustified and unwarranted is the government decision to disallow the Christians in Malaysia to enjoy absolute freedom of religion by banning them from using certain Bahasa Malaysia words in their Bible and other religious literature and publications.
The irony is that no less person than MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has suggested the “supervision” on the printing, publishing, and distributing of the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible.
The MCA claims to represents the Chinese community, which includes many Christians, but its president is suggesting that the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible be printed locally under control and be placed under the “supervision” by the Home Ministry, like what is being practiced in atheistic authoritarian countries.
The MCA is, hence, endorsing the Home Ministry’s conditions that each copy of the imported Bahasa Malaysia Bible be stamped with a serial number, with a ministry disclaimer that says “For Christians only”.
How then can those who profess to follow and love the Lord Jesus Christ continue to support such a party? To a true Christian, nothing is more important and significant than upholding the faith, to be the light of the World and salt of the Earth.
In view of such hostility and antagonism against their basic rights to freedom of religion and expression in using the national language in their worship and publications, Malaysian Christians of all denominations and of various political affiliations on both sides of the political divide, should come together in unity of purpose to vote for the transformation of our nation into a morally righteous, just, equal, fair, accountable, transparent, and godly society. The matter of their faithfulness and obedience to God should surpass all other considerations, particularly when their faith is under assault.
In Sarawak, Christians constitute the majority of the Iban community, which made up nearly 35% of the state population.
The Chinese made up 26% of the state population, with many of them being Christians.
Hence, the Christian community of Sarawak, which makes up 43% of the total state population, is certainly a formidable electoral force in the state. United and standing firm in solidarity as “one Body in Christ”, the Christians in Sarawak can be the key catalyst for an electoral revolution in the country, bringing about the transformation of the nation into a new and better Malaysia.
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:12.”
Hence, Christians in Malaysia must come together and stand united to vote for the Truth, the Life, and the Way.
PKR Sarawak
Christians need to unite in unceasing prayers and go all out to campaign and vote to preserve and protect their fundamental human, civil and constitutional rights to freedom of worship using the full vocabulary of their national language without restraints and limitation.
The unilateral detention of thousands of copies of the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible, and the degrading stamping of the holy books by the Home Ministry are matters Christians cannot accept and compromise on.
The kurang ajar way in which Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has dismissed the Christian protest against such disrespectful and undignified treatment of their Scriptures as being “unreasonable” is really demeaning and insulting to the Christian community in Malaysia.
What is so unreasonable in protesting against the violation of their fundamental human, civil and constitutional rights to practice and propagate their faith in their own national language, and to challenge the dastardly desecration of their Scriptures and the treatment of their Bible like a subversive document?
What is actually unreasonable, unjustified and unwarranted is the government decision to disallow the Christians in Malaysia to enjoy absolute freedom of religion by banning them from using certain Bahasa Malaysia words in their Bible and other religious literature and publications.
The irony is that no less person than MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has suggested the “supervision” on the printing, publishing, and distributing of the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible.
The MCA claims to represents the Chinese community, which includes many Christians, but its president is suggesting that the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible be printed locally under control and be placed under the “supervision” by the Home Ministry, like what is being practiced in atheistic authoritarian countries.
The MCA is, hence, endorsing the Home Ministry’s conditions that each copy of the imported Bahasa Malaysia Bible be stamped with a serial number, with a ministry disclaimer that says “For Christians only”.
How then can those who profess to follow and love the Lord Jesus Christ continue to support such a party? To a true Christian, nothing is more important and significant than upholding the faith, to be the light of the World and salt of the Earth.
In view of such hostility and antagonism against their basic rights to freedom of religion and expression in using the national language in their worship and publications, Malaysian Christians of all denominations and of various political affiliations on both sides of the political divide, should come together in unity of purpose to vote for the transformation of our nation into a morally righteous, just, equal, fair, accountable, transparent, and godly society. The matter of their faithfulness and obedience to God should surpass all other considerations, particularly when their faith is under assault.
In Sarawak, Christians constitute the majority of the Iban community, which made up nearly 35% of the state population.
The Chinese made up 26% of the state population, with many of them being Christians.
Hence, the Christian community of Sarawak, which makes up 43% of the total state population, is certainly a formidable electoral force in the state. United and standing firm in solidarity as “one Body in Christ”, the Christians in Sarawak can be the key catalyst for an electoral revolution in the country, bringing about the transformation of the nation into a new and better Malaysia.
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:12.”
Hence, Christians in Malaysia must come together and stand united to vote for the Truth, the Life, and the Way.
PKR Sarawak
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