5 Safar 1431H
Wong Choon Mei
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18: Civil society and Church leaders have lashed out at Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz for trying to blame the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Reverend Murphy Pakiam, for a controversial court decision that has inadvertently exposed the shocking extent of racial polarization and religious bigotry in the country, despite five decades of nation building.
Indeed, the recent spate of attacks against non-Muslim places of worship have put the spotlight on Prime Minister Najib Razak’s Umno-BN coalition for consistently pursuing race-based politics and communal favoritism to manipulate and control the different ethnic groups to its benefit and advantage.
“It is surprising that a leading politician such as Datuk Nazri should make such a statement against Tan Sri Pakiam,” Ramon Navaratnam, a prominent civil society leader and a member of the government’s National Unity Advisory Panel, told Harakahdaily.
“I believe Tan Sri Pakiam had run out of all other options. I don't understand why it is necessary to pinpoint him but it is now time for the religious leaders and civil society to take greater ownership of the issue and for the politicians and partisan parties to move a step back. It is also the duty of the government-of-the-day to immediately facilitate dialogue and discourse and we must all be guided by what transpires at these meeting,” PAS strategist Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad told Harakahdaily.
This is why the Church sued
Indeed, Nazri’s statement has come across as one-sided and unhelpful to both his government and the public at large, who want the crisis to be resolved before further damage is done to the country’s image and economy.
According to Ramon, Nazri did not present the full picture of events that led to the Church’s decision to file the law suit.
“The question to ask is why Tan Sri Pakiam had to take it to the courts . It was purely and simply because of the failure by the authorities to properly institute an inter-faith council. In failing to do so, the government of the day denied minority groups access to solutions in practicing their faith," said Ramon.
“Indeed, there were many appeals for assistance and fair consideration with regards to Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia. There were also strong requests for the import of such Bibles and the use of the word Allah, which has been traditionally used by the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak as well as by the Sikh community.
“But all these fell on deaf ears. So, Tan Sri Pakiam was pushed to the wall to seek justice and to uphold the Federal Constitution that safeguards the freedom of religious practice in this country. As a last resort, the Catholic church went to the courts.”
Cite Minister of Controversy for contempt
The often brash and outspoken Nazri had stirred a fresh storm of protest with his comments on Monday. Just days ago, he had sparked calls for his resignation for controversially suggesting that only Christians in East Malaysia, but not in West Malaysia, be allowed to use the word Allah. There are now calls for the Attorney-General to cite him for contempt as well.
He has attempted to deflect blame on Pakiam, the highest ranking official in the Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia, and even High Court judge Lau Bee Lan, who had overturned the Home Ministry's ban on non-Muslims using Allah. “It is not the fault of the government. Let it be known that it was Tan Sri Pakiam, not the government, who brought the matter to court,” Nazri had told reporters.
The minister also noted that judge Lau was a non-Muslim, but declined to say if he had read through her 57-page grounds of judgment and considered the reasons behind her decision.
“Nazri launched a most improper, unwarranted and unprecedented attack on Lau, not only saying that her December 31 decision was wrong, but also maligning and besmirching her judicial competence and role by declaring that she is not a Muslim and had improperly ruled over a matter that concerned the ‘akidah’ or faith of the Muslim community," said DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who also urged that contempt proceedings be initiated against Nazri.
“This is the first time that I know of a judge being attacked on the ground of her religious credentials rather than her judicial competence and temper. And coming from the de facto Law Minister, it must be regarded most seriously as a totally unacceptable attack on the independence, impartiality, integrity and professionalism of the judiciary,” he added.
Too much hot gas and rhetoric
At the heart of the latest outbreak of religious bigotry, possibly the worst in the nation’s 52-year history, is Lau's ruling delivered on December 31, 2009. She overturned a Home Ministry ban, effectively allowing non-Muslims to use the word.
The court decision prompted a rash of protests spearheaded by top Umno leaders including Prime Minister Najib, his cousin and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad and his son, Trade Minister Mukhriz Mahathir, and even former Selangor chief minister Khir Toyo.
Their inflammatory rhetoric has been widely blamed for the arson and vandalism attacks that followed. So far, 10 churches, a Catholic school and a 100-year old Sikh temple have been hit. But till now, no arrests have been made by the police, further spurring accusations of partisanship and unprofessional conduct.
Amid growing national and international condemnation, Najib has tried to downplay the religious violence as a “minor aberration”. His deputy Muhyiddin Yassin has also said the government would continue to appeal the High Court decision, and at the same time initiate inter-faith dialogue.
“What we have seen so far is just a lot of rhetoric and hot gas. No concrete action or results. Where are the arrests? Who has been invited to the inter-faith dialogues? When is the date, what is the agenda for the discourse?” asked Dr Dzulkely.
Divisive policies
Muslims in Malaysia, particularly the Malays, are divided over the Allah issue. Not all share Umno’s view that Allah is exclusive to their community. In fact, PAS, the largest Islamic-based political party in the country, has distanced itself from racial politicking and is sticking to Islamic teachings to guide Muslims through the crisis.
Ruled by a core committee of religious experts or ulamak, it has taken the stand that non-Muslims can use Allah, provided there is no abuse or misuse of the word. PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat has already invited 20 leaders of different faiths to attend a dialogue on January 28 to discuss best-fit solutions and perhaps as a first step towards drawing up usage guidelines.
Meanwhile, the Sabah Council of Churches has rejected Nazri’s proposal. Council president Rev Jerry Dusing said that Nazri’s suggestion was “illogical, inconsistent and untenable for Christian communities of both states, especially those residing in the peninsula”.
“The intended concession also goes against the spirit and intent of the Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia concept of forging unity and harmony among all races and religions by mutual respect and acceptance,” Dusing said in a statement.
Dusing also expressed concern that such a rule could impinge on the rights of the Christian community as it “dichotomises and segregates” their right to profess and practise their faith on the basis of geographical location.
“It is one of the most ridiculous and unscrupulous acts. It has gone out of control and Umno is now trying to cover up,” said PAS leader Nizar Jamaluddin. “But instead of coming out with a good and sincere solution, the Umno government says East Malaysia can use Allah but West Malaysia cannot. Is it trying to divide the country now?”
Harakahdaily.net/-
Wong Choon Mei
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18: Civil society and Church leaders have lashed out at Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz for trying to blame the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Reverend Murphy Pakiam, for a controversial court decision that has inadvertently exposed the shocking extent of racial polarization and religious bigotry in the country, despite five decades of nation building.
Indeed, the recent spate of attacks against non-Muslim places of worship have put the spotlight on Prime Minister Najib Razak’s Umno-BN coalition for consistently pursuing race-based politics and communal favoritism to manipulate and control the different ethnic groups to its benefit and advantage.
“It is surprising that a leading politician such as Datuk Nazri should make such a statement against Tan Sri Pakiam,” Ramon Navaratnam, a prominent civil society leader and a member of the government’s National Unity Advisory Panel, told Harakahdaily.
“I believe Tan Sri Pakiam had run out of all other options. I don't understand why it is necessary to pinpoint him but it is now time for the religious leaders and civil society to take greater ownership of the issue and for the politicians and partisan parties to move a step back. It is also the duty of the government-of-the-day to immediately facilitate dialogue and discourse and we must all be guided by what transpires at these meeting,” PAS strategist Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad told Harakahdaily.
This is why the Church sued
Indeed, Nazri’s statement has come across as one-sided and unhelpful to both his government and the public at large, who want the crisis to be resolved before further damage is done to the country’s image and economy.
According to Ramon, Nazri did not present the full picture of events that led to the Church’s decision to file the law suit.
“The question to ask is why Tan Sri Pakiam had to take it to the courts . It was purely and simply because of the failure by the authorities to properly institute an inter-faith council. In failing to do so, the government of the day denied minority groups access to solutions in practicing their faith," said Ramon.
“Indeed, there were many appeals for assistance and fair consideration with regards to Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia. There were also strong requests for the import of such Bibles and the use of the word Allah, which has been traditionally used by the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak as well as by the Sikh community.
“But all these fell on deaf ears. So, Tan Sri Pakiam was pushed to the wall to seek justice and to uphold the Federal Constitution that safeguards the freedom of religious practice in this country. As a last resort, the Catholic church went to the courts.”
Cite Minister of Controversy for contempt
The often brash and outspoken Nazri had stirred a fresh storm of protest with his comments on Monday. Just days ago, he had sparked calls for his resignation for controversially suggesting that only Christians in East Malaysia, but not in West Malaysia, be allowed to use the word Allah. There are now calls for the Attorney-General to cite him for contempt as well.
He has attempted to deflect blame on Pakiam, the highest ranking official in the Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia, and even High Court judge Lau Bee Lan, who had overturned the Home Ministry's ban on non-Muslims using Allah. “It is not the fault of the government. Let it be known that it was Tan Sri Pakiam, not the government, who brought the matter to court,” Nazri had told reporters.
The minister also noted that judge Lau was a non-Muslim, but declined to say if he had read through her 57-page grounds of judgment and considered the reasons behind her decision.
“Nazri launched a most improper, unwarranted and unprecedented attack on Lau, not only saying that her December 31 decision was wrong, but also maligning and besmirching her judicial competence and role by declaring that she is not a Muslim and had improperly ruled over a matter that concerned the ‘akidah’ or faith of the Muslim community," said DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who also urged that contempt proceedings be initiated against Nazri.
“This is the first time that I know of a judge being attacked on the ground of her religious credentials rather than her judicial competence and temper. And coming from the de facto Law Minister, it must be regarded most seriously as a totally unacceptable attack on the independence, impartiality, integrity and professionalism of the judiciary,” he added.
Too much hot gas and rhetoric
At the heart of the latest outbreak of religious bigotry, possibly the worst in the nation’s 52-year history, is Lau's ruling delivered on December 31, 2009. She overturned a Home Ministry ban, effectively allowing non-Muslims to use the word.
The court decision prompted a rash of protests spearheaded by top Umno leaders including Prime Minister Najib, his cousin and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad and his son, Trade Minister Mukhriz Mahathir, and even former Selangor chief minister Khir Toyo.
Their inflammatory rhetoric has been widely blamed for the arson and vandalism attacks that followed. So far, 10 churches, a Catholic school and a 100-year old Sikh temple have been hit. But till now, no arrests have been made by the police, further spurring accusations of partisanship and unprofessional conduct.
Amid growing national and international condemnation, Najib has tried to downplay the religious violence as a “minor aberration”. His deputy Muhyiddin Yassin has also said the government would continue to appeal the High Court decision, and at the same time initiate inter-faith dialogue.
“What we have seen so far is just a lot of rhetoric and hot gas. No concrete action or results. Where are the arrests? Who has been invited to the inter-faith dialogues? When is the date, what is the agenda for the discourse?” asked Dr Dzulkely.
Divisive policies
Muslims in Malaysia, particularly the Malays, are divided over the Allah issue. Not all share Umno’s view that Allah is exclusive to their community. In fact, PAS, the largest Islamic-based political party in the country, has distanced itself from racial politicking and is sticking to Islamic teachings to guide Muslims through the crisis.
Ruled by a core committee of religious experts or ulamak, it has taken the stand that non-Muslims can use Allah, provided there is no abuse or misuse of the word. PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat has already invited 20 leaders of different faiths to attend a dialogue on January 28 to discuss best-fit solutions and perhaps as a first step towards drawing up usage guidelines.
Meanwhile, the Sabah Council of Churches has rejected Nazri’s proposal. Council president Rev Jerry Dusing said that Nazri’s suggestion was “illogical, inconsistent and untenable for Christian communities of both states, especially those residing in the peninsula”.
“The intended concession also goes against the spirit and intent of the Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia concept of forging unity and harmony among all races and religions by mutual respect and acceptance,” Dusing said in a statement.
Dusing also expressed concern that such a rule could impinge on the rights of the Christian community as it “dichotomises and segregates” their right to profess and practise their faith on the basis of geographical location.
“It is one of the most ridiculous and unscrupulous acts. It has gone out of control and Umno is now trying to cover up,” said PAS leader Nizar Jamaluddin. “But instead of coming out with a good and sincere solution, the Umno government says East Malaysia can use Allah but West Malaysia cannot. Is it trying to divide the country now?”
Harakahdaily.net/-
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