Bishop reiterates opposition to '1 nation, 2 rules' policy
Terence Netto
Apr 14, 11
12:40pm
Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing reiterated his stance that a federal government policy of one rule for Borneo and another for the Peninsula on the dissemination of the Al Kitab was "flatly unacceptable."
"I don't want to sound churlish especially after what appears to have been a congenial meeting between the prime minister and the leaders of the Sarawak Association of Churches in Kuching yesterday," said the titular head of the diocese of Malacca-Johor to Malaysiakini today.
"But if the meeting did not go some distance towards removal of this 'one-nation two-policies' federal government stance on the dissemination of the Al Kitab, then we are at square one as far as this matter is concerned," said the prelate who is also president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia.
On April 2, Minister in the PM's Department Idris Jala proposed that the issue of Al Kitab be treated differently on both sides of the South China Sea.
"For Sabah and Sarawak, in recognition of the large Christian community in these states, there are no conditions attached to the importation and local printing of the bibles in all languages, including Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia and indigenous languages. There is no requirement for any stamp or serial number.
"Taking into account the interest of the larger Muslim community for Peninsula Malaysia, bibles in Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia, imported or printed, must have the words 'Christian Publication' and the cross sign printed on the front covers," said Idris.
Lasting solution sought
Bishop Paul Tan said he welcomed assurances of the government's readiness to discuss matters of concern to the Christian community.
"But, frankly, openness to discussion and dialogue has not, in the past, been the problem; it is the will to match deed to word, to give effect to fundamental guarantees on freedom of religion enshrined in the federal constitution that is the problem," he asserted.
"When the High Court ruled that Christians have the right to use the term 'Allah' and that its use was not prejudicial to national security, the Home Ministry's decision to appeal the ruling sent a discordant signal to the Christian community," he explained.
"None of the government's recent overtures on the Al Kitab affair deals with this issue which is the crux of the matter. Pussyfooting around it may treat its symptoms but not the ailment," Bishop Paul Tan added.
"We spurn the notion we are supplicants on this matter. We are not; we are proponents of the idea that if a strict construction is placed on the freedom of religion guarantee in the constitution, we are sinned against rather than sinning in the matter of the dissemination of the Al Kitab," argued the bishop.
He said any interpretation that the 10-point plan aired by Idris, followed by yesterday's meeting of church leaders with Najib constituted a satisfactory solution to the problem of Al Kitab and its dissemination, was "political triumphalism".
"Christian leaders want a lasting solution to this issue, not something that is expedient for the moment. The only durable solution is one that does not differentiate between Christians of the two parts of Malaysia. Anything else is flatly unacceptable," reiterated Bishop Paul Tan.
发表于 13-4-2011 09:37 PM
首相纳吉今天在其入住的古晋希尔顿酒店会见14名砂州教堂协会领袖，并举行闭门会议，对话近一句钟。不过，纳吉并未发言便离开。
“就首相而言，他承诺扣留及盖章《圣经》的事情不会再发生。我们有很好的对话。”
“身为一个将马来西亚不同基督教组织纳在一起的组织，我们知道人的罪，并感受到神的宽恕。因此，我们以诚恳的心接受这种表现。我们相信政府的建议代表了一个进一步对话的基础，并承诺带给一个长期且详细的解决方案。”
变色卡
千斤顶
“砂拉越和沙巴，以及西马半岛原住民中，有三分之二的基督徒是说马来语的。我们世世代代都使用马来版圣经，作为我们的圣经。”
婆罗洲宣教会还引述马来西亚基督教联会主席黄文兴，在3月21日针对3万5000本马来版圣经遭非法没收的文告指出，“这显然是当局持续性、偷偷摸摸，以及有系统性地反基督徒计划，不让他们获得马来版圣经。”
该组织指出，国阵反基督教议程始于马哈迪，他在1981年出任首相后，通过1982年内安法令严禁马来版圣经，当基督徒提出反对时，他把马来版圣经“限制”在供基督教堂使用。此外，伊班圣经在2003年被时任代首相兼内政部长的阿都拉查禁。
“摆在我们眼前的事实是，国阵持续通过违反宪法和非法反基督教议程的手段，来完全消灭砂拉越和沙巴的基督教遗产。”
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