5,000 Bibles still not returned, says group, more Christians' persecution Bolehland style. Options

[chutzpah]

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=...&sec=nation

5,000 Bibles still not returned, says group

PETALING JAYA: Christians in Malaysia are waiting for 5,000 Bibles, confiscated by the Home Ministry in 2009, that have yet to be returned despite the Cabinet approving their release.

The long wait has prompted National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) secretary-general Sam Ang to ask Christians in Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia to pray for the “unconditional and immediate release” of the 5,000 Alkitab together with other Christian materials approved by the Cabinet last year.

“These material have not been released despite the many calls and appeals to the Government,” Ang said in a statement yesterday.

On March 23, 2009, the Bible Society of Malaysia imported 5,000 Alkitab Berita Baik from Indonesia.

However, the Malay Bibles together with 100 copies of other Christian literature were confiscated and detained by the Home Ministry at Port Klang on “security grounds,” he said.

The materials had not been released despite many calls and appeals to the government, said Ang.

“Though the Cabinet has approved the release of these materials, they have not been returned” he added.

Note: I have posted articles on the law against printed Bible in Malay and even though this law was repelled in practice it is very much enforced. So much for the 1Malaysia concept. Worst for those who fails to see the hypocricy of it all, a make-up race/religious fiasco if there is ever one.

[chutzpah]

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=...&sec=nation

Saturday March 12, 2011
Better if Bibles in Bahasa are produced here under strict control, says MCA chief

PETALING JAYA: Allowing Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia to be printed locally will provide an amicable solution to the deadlock over the matter, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

The Bibles, currently printed in Indonesia and imported by churches here, could be printed locally by printing houses sanctioned by the Home Ministry, added Dr Chua.

“If Bibles in the national language are printed locally, then they can be allowed to be circulated to churches with proper supervision,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Chua appealed to the Government to meet church groups to resolve the issue soon, stating that the fulfilment of religious needs should not be confined to selected languages.

The controversy over the distribution and use of Bahasa Malaysia Bibles ignited again after several consignment of such Bibles were seized, the latest being the 30,000 copies of the “Perjanjian Baru, Mazmur dan Amsal” (New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs) which are being held at the Kuching port in Sarawak.

Christian groups are also unhappy that the ministry had yet to release a previous shipment of 5,000 Bahasa Malaysia Bibles, known as the Alkitab, despite numerous appeals since it was detained in Port Klang in March 2009.

“Every Malaysian has the right to practise his religion as guaranteed and enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

“In Sabah and Sarawak, the use of Bahasa Malaysia in the practice of Christianity has long been a common tradition,” he said.

The Government, he said, must understand that Bahasa Malaysia would be used in a greater manner, especially among the young, given its emphasis and function as the teaching medium in schools.

“We can be sure that the use of Bahasa Malaysia in the learning and teaching of Christianity will not be abused with proper supervision by the churches themselves.

“We must embrace such development in all graciousness, not with suspicion and in the spirit of 1Malaysia,” he added.

In a statement on Thursday, the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) said that Malaysian Christians, many of whom grew up with Bahasa Malaysia as their principal medium of communication, must have access to Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia in order to read, comprehend and practise their faith.

“The freedom of religion guaranteed as part of the fundamental liberties under our Federal Constitution is rendered meaningless if adherents to a religion are denied access to their religious texts in a language that they can understand.

“It is an affront to them that they are being deprived of their sacred scriptures,” said CFM chairman Bishop Ng Moon Hing.

DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng urged the government to immediately release the Bibles, stating that it was unconstitutional to deprive Christians of their Holy Scripture to preserve the country’s peaceful practise of cultural and religious diversity.

“Further prohibiting the Bible just because it is in Bahasa Malaysia is contrary to the position of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language,” he said.

This post has been edited by chutzpah: Mar 11 2011, 09:00 PM

[chutzpah]

The impounding of the Christian's holy book the Bible should not have happened under any circumstances. But in Bolehland this is the reality, and they even come up with all sort of excuses, amazing really. Not sure what the miniter meant by 'amicably' The 1Malaysia concept is no longer a joke, it's a scam.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=...&sec=nation

Monday March 14, 2011
Hisham: Issue of impounded Bibles being resolved amicably

PETALING JAYA: The issue concerning the impounding of 30,000 Bibles at Port Klang and Kuching Port is being resolved amicably with the parties concerned, based on advice from the Attorney-General.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hi­­shammuddin Hussein said the situation was not due to the books or material but because of the pending court appeal by the Catholic Herald over the use of the word “Allah” in its publication.

“The appeal has yet to be heard by the court to resolve the bigger issue of content, one way or the other.

“The two matters are being resolved amicably with the parties concerned, based on this advice,” he said in a statement here yesterday, while urging people not to listen to wild allegations and speculation.

As always, he said, the ministry would act based on the law.

Hishammuddin was commenting on calls by the Sarawak government for the authorities to release the impounded Bibles at the two ports.

In 2009, the High Court had ruled that the Catholic Church had the constitutional right to use “Allah” in its text.

However, in February last year, the Home Ministry filed an appeal against the High Court decision and the case is still pending in the Court of Appeal.

Hishammuddin assured Christians that the impounded Bibles had not been destroyed and that the matter was being resolved rationally to avoid it turning into an “emotive and polemic” issue.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail said the Government had previously allowed Bibles to be imported and circulated for use by the Christian community.

On at least two previous occasions, the Government had allowed Bibles to be imported and circulated on condition that they were for circulation in churches only and that they be sold at shops solely for Christians.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala welcomed Hishammuddin’s initiative to resolve the issue amicably.

“My view is that the impounded Bibles should be released as soon as possible.

“As this issue is potentially sensitive, I think all parties should calm down so that it can be resolved rationally and objectively,” said Jala, a Christian.

In a related development, the MCA has urged the Home Ministry to release the impounded Bibles as soon as possible.

Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the party also wanted the Attorney-General to make an immediate decision so that the Bibles could be released.

“Any delay (in releasing the Bibles) will only give rise to more speculation by irresponsible people,” he said after chairing the party’s central committee meeting at Wisma MCA yesterday.

Dr Chua said Malaysians of all religions should be allowed to practise and teach their faith in any language without any obstacle from the authorities.

The Government should make it clear that every individual’s right to freedom of religion and to practise one’s faith must be respected, he added.

“Therefore, we (MCA) strongly urge civil servants to refrain from overzealous enforcement on any religious literature to ensure our country continues to be a cohesive and harmonious society,” Dr Chua said.

[chutzpah]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/03...le-seizure.html

Christians slam Malaysia gov't for Bible seizure

Sean Yoong, Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur | Thu, 03/10/2011 8:31 PM | World

The main Christian grouping in Muslim-majority Malaysia said Thursday it was "fed up" with the government's refusal to allow the distribution of tens of thousands of Bibles, saying this was an affront to religious freedoms.

The rare rebuke by the Christian Federation of Malaysia signals growing impatience among the religious minority in a years-old dispute over the government's ban on the use of the word "Allah" as a translation for God in Malay-language Bibles and religious texts.

The federation's chairman, Bishop Ng Moon Hing, said authorities ae currently holding 30,000 Malay-language Bibles at a port on Borneo island. This was one of the latest attempts by Christians to import such Bibles, mainly from Indonesia, but none has been successful since March 2009. There are no similar problems with English-language texts.

Christians were "greatly diillusioned, fed up and angered by the repeated detention of Bibles," the federation said in a statement. "It would appear as if the authorities are waging a continuous, surreptitious and systematic program against Christians in Malaysia to deny them access to the Bible" in the Malay language.

Home Minitry officials were not immediately available for comment, but the government has repeatedly denied being unfair. In another recent incident, the ministry acknowledged it had barred the entry of imported Bibles but denied they were seized, saying the importer had simply failed to claim them from the port.

Te trouble stems from the government's stance that the use of "Allah" in non-Muslim texts could confuse Muslims and even entice them to convert. Nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people are Malay Muslims, while 25 percent are ethnic Chinese and 8 percent are Indians. Ethnic minorities are mostly Chrisian, Buddhist or Hindu.

A court ruled in December 2009 that Christians have the constitutional right to use the word "Allah." The government has appealed the verdict, but no hearings have been scheduled.

The dispute caused a brief surge in tensions in January 2010, when 11 churches were attacked by firebombs amid anger among some Muslims over th court ruling.

Note: have a read at the many comments following the report. Those Bibles should not have been impounded in the first place! I didn't edit the many mispellings by the JP.

This post has been edited by chutzpah: Mar 16 2011, 04:22 AM

[chutzpah]

GOOD NEWS AT LONG LAST EVEN THOUGH IT TOOK ALMOST 2 YEARS!!

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=...&sec=nation

Wednesday March 16, 2011
Govt lifts Bible impound
By P. ARUNA and LEE YEN MUN


PETALING JAYA: The Government has decided to release the 35,000 copies of the Bible which we reimpounded at Port Klang and Kuching Port when they were imported from Indonesia.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala said the release was in line with the 1982 gazette under the Internal Security Act, which allows limited and controlled importation and circulation of Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia, which must be stamped “For Christians Only”.

“After a thorough review, the Attorney-General has confirmed that the release of the Bibles does not prejudice the ongoing court case of the Kalimah Allah issue,” he said in a statement yesterday.

On Sunday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein had said that the impoundment of the Bibles at Port Klang and Kuching Port was because of the pending court appeal by The Herald, the Malaysian Catholic weekly, over the use of the word Allah in its publication. The issue has kicked up a storm among Christian groups in the country, which had appealed for the Bibles to be released.

Jala said the Government was committed to resolving inter-faith issues amicably through dialogues and discussions in view of the country’s multi-religious nature.

The minister, a Christian from Sarawak, has been liaising with the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) on behalf of the Government over the issue.

“This is a reasonable compromise in managing the polarities of views between Christians and Muslims in the country,” Jala added.

The 30,000 copies of the Bible were confiscated at the Kuching Port on Jan 12 while a previous shipment of 5,000 Bibles, known as the Alkit ab, were impounded in Port Klang in March 2009.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, in welcoming the A-G’s decision, reiterated that the Governm ent should be firm in showing its commitment to religious freedom. He said the issue which had created uneasiness among the people should not be allowed to drag on.

“Since Bahasa Malaysia is a medium of instruction, more people and more Christians will use Bahasa Malaysia to read the Bible,” he pointed out.

Malaysian Christians expressed relief that the controversy had come to a close.

Council of Churches of Malaysia general-secretary Rev Dr Herman Shastri said the Government had acted promptly on the matter.

“We still maintain that it is the right of Christians to read their scriptures in Bahasa Malaysia, as it is their inalienable right guaranteed by Article 11 of the Federal Constitution,” he added.

He, however, disagreed that the Bahasa Malaysia Bibles be circulated in the country with the “For Christians Only” stamp.

Note: How the Bible is a security risk is anyone's guess. By assuming most Malays are weak in their faith and are easily confused therefore stupid is an insult!