The Christian community
said today that it is appalled by what it says is the Najib
administration’s desecration of 5,100 holy books shipped in from
Indonesia and has flat out refused to collect the Port Klang shipment.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), which
represents over 90 per cent of churches in the country, insisted that
Putrajaya immediately drop the conditions imposed for the release of two
shipments of Malay Bibles totalling 35,000 copies seized from Port
Klang and Kuching port (“Christians protest: government blocks 30
thousand Bibles in Malay,” in AsiaNews, 12 March 2011).
Last night, the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) was told its shipment of 5,100 Alkitab—as
the Malay Bibles are called—were stamped with the Home Ministry’s
official seal, as per the conditions imposed for the release issued two
days ago, without its prior permission.
The first requires the importers to stamp directly on
the cover of each of the 35,000 copies the following words: “Peringatan:
‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ ini untuk kegunaan penganut agama Kristian
sahaja. Dengan perintah Menteri Dalam Negeri” (In English: “Reminder:
This ‘Al Kitab Berita Baik’ is for the use of Christians only. By order
of the Home Minister.”)
The cover of the Bibles would be stamped with the department’s official seal and dated as well.
The second condition requires the importers to stamp a
serial number on each copy as if to demarcate copies from the released
shipment and to enable the book to be traced back to the port of import.
“This means that the Bahasa Malaysia Bible is now
treated as a restricted item, and the Word of God has been made subject
to the control of man. This is wholly offensive to Christians,” the CFM
said in a strongly worded statement today signed by its chairman, Bishop
Ng Moon Hing.
The umbrella body refuted government claims it had
reached a compromise, saying it had never agreed that its holy books
should be endorsed to say, “It is only for Christians”.
“Any person who respects the Holy Scriptures of any
religion would be appalled by this action. We will never accede to any
desecration of the Bible since the Word of God to us is sacred,” it
said.
Pointing to a 1982 order issued under the Internal
Security Act (ISA), the CFM said nowhere in the law is it stated that
any form of words had to be endorsed on any copy of the Bible in Bahasa
Malaysia.
“Given that copies may already have been endorsed, we will not take delivery of those endorsed copies,” it added.
The CFM said it also wholly rejects the federal
government’s argument that the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia is “prejudicial
to the national interest and security of Malaysia”.
It condemned the government’s treatment of its holy books as “subversive publication”.
The CFM said Christian Malaysians have always acted in
good faith and with great patience to reach a peaceful end to religious
dispute that would not compromise their beliefs. “But that good faith
has not been reciprocated by the government,” it said.
It further accused Putrajaya of having moved the “goal
posts” over the years “through a systematic imposition of unreasonable
conditions and restrictions”.
“As Christians we wonder how our Holy Scriptures can
become a national security threat where countless number of us find it
helpful in bringing hope and healing to broken lives and homes which we
can testify to,” it said.
The CFM called on all Malaysians to rally together and reject all attempts to control the freedom of religion in the country.
It also advised all Christians to remain calm and pray for a dignified and respectful resolution to the ongoing Alkitab row and noted that Sunday will mark the second year the holy books have been detained at Port Klang.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein defended
today his ministry’s stamping of the 5,100 Malay-language bibles in
Port Klang with its official seal, saying it was standard protocol and
not done to “deface” the Alkitab.
The minister also said his men had no choice but to
adhere to these procedures as the BSM had wanted the Bibles to be
released quickly.
“We stamped the Bible based on amalan
(practice) before [. . .] during Abdullah Badawi and even Tun Dr
Mahathir’s time,” Hishammuddin told reporters today, referring to the
two immediate past prime ministers.
Hishammuddin appeared to suggest that the Christian
community’s uproar over what they considered a violation of their holy
book to be manufactured.
“They wanted it to be released quickly [. . .] If
they want to find fault they can find fault [. . .] You can even say the
Bibles are smelly after being kept for so long, if you want to find
fault (with everything),” the minister claimed.
He said his officials had no intention to deface the
Bibles, stressing that the Christian community should engage his
ministry directly if it had issues or complaints over the measures
taken.
However, he also voiced frustration over the inability to bridge the now-widening chasm with the community over the issue.