Kit Siang calls for unconditional bible release...[the books in Port Klang be stamped with a Home Ministry disclaimer stating “For Christians Only” and that each copy carry a serial number]..Adakah ini "religious bigotry" atau "two unreasonable and unacceptable conditions"...Si Kit Siang kata "they smack of discrimination at its worst and will expose Malaysia to international ridicule, scorn and condemnation"...Bila kita lihat apa yg di laksanakan oleh KDN adalah bertepatan dgn status Islam sebagai agama rasmi di Malaysia dan agama lain boleh di amalkan di Malaysia di bawah Perlembagaan Malaysia. Kita anggap itu adalah peraturan-peraturan dan syarat-syarat yg mesti di patuhi oleh semua agama di Malaysia iaitu ianya mesti di cop dgn "Untuk Kegunaan Agama Kristian sahaja" dan di letakkan nombor siri spt mana di laksanakan ke atas Al-Quran yg di cop dgn "cop KDN" dan di letakkan nombor siri. Kita yg beragama Islam tidak membantah mengapa org Kristian mesti di berikan keistimewaan dalam penglabelan tersebut. Kita tahu mengapa KDN meletakkan syarat tersebut kerana di khuatiri bahawa Al-Kitab tersebut akan terlepas ke tangan org yg cetek Islamnya ataupun yg baru memeluk Islam maka apabila di lihat buku bertajuk Al-Kitab maka diingatkan bahawa Al-Kitab adalah terjemahan Kitab Al-Quran. Natijahnya jangan di polimekkan isu penglabelan oleh KDN tersebut dan jangan memaksa Menteri KDN supaya memohon maaf kerana tiada apa-apa kesalahan yg besar yg boleh menyebabkan penganut agama Kristian tidak boleh membaca dan merujuk kpd Al-Kitab utk upacara keagamaan penganut Kristian. Al-Kitab bukan di cetak dan di ubah ayat-ayatnya tetapi hanya di labelkan "For Christians Only" dan di letakkan nombor siri. Di mana pertimbangan dan kerasionalan Monyet DAP dalam mempolimekkan isu ini. Adakah pilihanraya Sarawak semakin hampir maka Monyet DAP mengambil kesempatan drp kekusutan tersebut utk meraih undi simpati penganut Kristian dgn melabelkan kerajaan tidak adil dan diskriminasi terhadap agama lain...Kita nasihatkan Monyet DAP supaya rentikan polimek ini takut nanti ianya akan menjadi perkara yg boleh mengganggu-gugat keharmonian dan ketenteraman serta kemakmuran yg telah kita nikmati selama 53 tahun. Hanya kerana keuntungan politik maka masyrakat berbilang agama di Malaysia beramok sesama sendiri utk menuntut hak-hak mereka dalam beragama...

Lim said the Najib administration had wasted the goodwill gained from the bibles’ release. — file pic

 

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the two conditions imposed for the release of the 5,100 Bahasa Malaysia bibles impounded in Port Klang, calling them discriminatory and shameful to the country.

“They smack of discrimination at its worst and will expose Malaysia to international ridicule, scorn and condemnation,” he said in a statement today.

The senior politician added that the conditions and the manner in which they were implemented were gross violations of both the prime minister’s 1 Malaysia concept and the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.

“All attempts to impose the two unreasonable and unacceptable conditions, which make a total mockery of Najib’s inclusive 1 Malaysia policy, should stop immediately and the 35,100 copies of Alkitab in Port Klang and Kuching Port should be released without conditions whatsoever,” he said.

The Najib administration relented on Tuesday and ordered the release of the 35,100 Malay-language books detained at the two ports. It, however, insisted the books in Port Klang be stamped with a Home Ministry disclaimer stating “For Christians Only” and that each copy carry a serial number.

Both conditions have caused indignation within the Christian community and church leaders have refused to collect the books, accusing the government of religious bigotry.

Their anger was further fuelled yesterday when news reached them that Home Ministry officials had marked the books with serial numbers and stamped its official seal without prior permission.

“At 5pm today (yesterday), KDN informed Bible Society of Malaysia that they had already chopped the bibles and asked Bible Society of Malaysia to come collect the bibles,” the importer said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

“Bible Society of Malaysia is alarmed by the defacement of the Christian bible by non-Christians chopping it with words that the Christians have not accepted or agreed to,” it added.

Today, Lim condemned the move and said the earlier “goodwill” of the Najib administration in ordering the books’ release had dissipated within 24 hours.

“It was dissipated not only by the two unreasonable and unacceptable conditions, but the most ham-fisted way and trigger-happy manner in implementing them,” he said.

He urged for immediate intervention by Najib, predicting that the prime minister’s failure to do so would inflict severe damage on Malaysia’s image.

“The prime minister should direct that immediate action be taken to mitigate, if not to undo, the gross damage to Malaysia’s national and  international image as a model multi-religious nation where constitutional guarantees of freedom of worship is fully honoured and respected as a result of the imposition and  implementation of the two unreasonable and unacceptable conditions,” he said.