'An affront to Founding Fathers'
Published on: Saturday, January 04, 2014
Kota Kinabalu: United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) condemned Thursday's Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and seizure of over 300 Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia and Iban from there. Its President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok (pic), who is deeply saddened and hurt by the authorities' lip service on freedom of religion in the country, said what had happened were transgressions to the ideals of our founding fathers."It is a new year, but the authorities look bent on taking backward steps instead of moving forwardÉleaders of this country, government as well as opposition, must ensure that the principles upon which this country was formed must not be transgressed for political expediency," he said, in a statement, Friday.ADVERTISEMENT "Leaders must steer this nation to its course. We must learn from the tragedies which have befallen countries worldwide when their leaders took it upon themselves to challenge the very foundation of their existence," added Dompok, who was formerly Plantation Industry and Commodities Minister."Very clearly, this action by Jais is against the letter and spirit of the ten points solution which were endorsed by the Federal Cabinet in April 2011. Not to say it is ultra vires the Federal Constitution. Upko, and I am sure all right thinking Malaysians, are deeply saddened and hurt by all these. ADVERTISEMENT We condemn such intrusion," he said.Dompok was commenting on the JAIS raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia building in Damansara, Selangor where over 300 Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia and Iban containing the word Allah was confiscated on Thursday.
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BSM President Lee Min Choon and manager Sinclair Wong were also detained and taken to the police station but released on bail after three hours.Calling on the Prime Minister to "walk the talk, which he is very capable of doing, Dompok said freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution. "It was about a week ago in his Christmas message that he spoke at length about sensitivity, about moving forward as a nation, as 1Malaysia, that we all must ensure continued harmony and unity in diversity. Upko are with him in such quest," he said.Dompok, a member of the Federal Cabinet for 14 years until May last year, is also baffled because the Selangor government, led by Pakatan Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), is condoning the raid, while their fellow coalition PAS had clearly stated that non-Muslims can use the word Allah.He also pointed out that the Klang Valley is often quoted as home to more than 30,000 Malaysians from Sabah and Sarawak. Many of them would go to Bahasa Malaysia church services there and the word Allah is part of their worship."To complicate matters, the case is also awaiting judgement from the Federal Court," he said, adding he felt all along that Putrajaya cannot but abide by the aspiration upon which our founding fathers built this nation. "It is not by accident that the first precepts of the Rukun Negara is Belief in God," he said. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Dompok also called on the Christian community, which is still celebrating the Christmas season, as well as Malaysians as a whole to pray for the betterment of the nation, and perhaps more so "that our leaders in all sectors of life, work hand in glove to live by the Constitution. Let us together move forward and make this a greater nation."