BM BIBLE “INTERLOK”! CAN IDRIS JALA’S “BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY” RESOLVE THIS?

BM BIBLE “INTERLOK”! CAN IDRIS JALA’S “BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY” RESOLVE THIS?


By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 — DAP charged the federal government today with violating the constitutional right to freedom of religion for having seized 35,000 Malay-language bibles since 2009.

“Depriving them of their holy scriptures is unconstitutional and clearly exposes the hype of 1 Malaysia is just mere rhetoric and propaganda,” secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today.

He added that it has been the longstanding practice of non-Muslim Bumiputeras and East Malaysians to learn and practise Christianity in the national language, as is their right under Article 11 of the federal constitution which protects the right to profess and practise one’s own religion.

The home ministry’s move to hold the bibles worth RM78,000 in the ports of Klang and Kuching has angered Christians in Malaysia, who are now lashing out at the federal government for what they see as a systematic move to deny their religious rights enshrined in the country’s highest law.

Yesterday the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), which represents 90 per cent of churches here, demanded that the government immediately release all Bibles detained.

“Further prohibiting the Bible just because it is in Bahasa Malaysia (BM) is also contrary to the position of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language,” said Lim, who is also Bagan Mp.

Comments (7)..

written by MaddieC, March 12, 2011 11:50:15

The Muslims in Malaysia are so desperate to increase the number of Muslims in the country irregardless of whether these people are fit enough to be good Muslims. They are also so worried that they may lose the number if Muslims start reading the Bible, Buddhist scriptures etc that they have to make laws to prevent them from converting out of the religion. Such practice will definitely not get God's favour as in the end, it is not sincere as intended by God. Anything that is not sincere will definitely cause trouble. That is exactly what is happening in Malaysia and to the Muslims in the country. ...

written by earthman, March 12, 2011 08:48:06

So what is constitutional? Bumiputra status? New Economic Policy? Internal Security Act -detention without trial? Islam Supremacy - suppressing other faiths? Special Rights of the Malays? Religious parks for other faiths? Civil service is only for Malays ?

Malays who kept quiet and care not about this unconstitutional act are not responsible as a human and obeying the will of God. They are not working and loving the people as commanded by God.

Take up courage and fight injustice as one body for God. - Thank you. You are our friends. Love you ...

written by temenggong, March 11, 2011 20:35:16

Just watch the issues DAP raises. ...

written by syd, March 11, 2011 18:39:23

maybe chrstians should start burning the koran or something to retaliate. ..

written by Fart Fart Wah, March 11, 2011 18:26:51

As for the christian political leaders in Sabah....shame shame shame.... ...

written by Fart Fart Wah, March 11, 2011 18:25:57

it is a siege mentality. they fear that malays if they read the bible will be converted. It is an open case of large parts of the bible and the torah or the jews bible have been copied into the koran. it is also a known that a christian arab woman helped Muhammed draw up parts of the koran too. the idea of submission to Allah is borrowed from christianity where Jesus is said to have submitted his will to Allah ' not my will but yours will be done'....so what is new in the koran?? not much except for taking more wives and being able to beat them and treating them as second class....Muslims must read the bible ...the christians are not afraid of reading the koran..so what is the difference my friends???? ..

written by sedan, March 11, 2011 17:15:20

I wonder how Idris Jala manages to convince the Sabah and Sarawak expat community here that they do not need Malay bibles. Perhaps, a Blue Ocean Strategy lab can be arranged to transform and innovate their scriptural understanding without the need for a vernacular text.