Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud should demand that Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamudin Tun Hussein Onn to apologise to all Malaysians for the “stupid idea” and nonsense of stamping serial numbers and dishonouring the Bahasa Malaysia bible Alkitab. DAP doubts Taib’s sincerity in only calling the whole issue s “stupid idea” in the middle of the Sarawak state elections.
Taib should prove that his criticisms at the Home Ministry for this “stupid idea” is and not another politicking tactic to fish for Christian voters in the Sarawak state general elections by demanding an unconditional and immediate apology from Hishamuddin.
Taib can not blame this stupid idea of stamping of serial numbers on the Alkitab on the lower ranking officers of the Home Ministry who he claimed had misinterpreted the law. This is because Hishamudin had not only defended his Home Ministry officials’ action in stamping Bahasa Malaysia bibles as standard procedure but also reprimanded the Christians by asking them to be “fair and reasonable”.
Apart from this “stupid idea”, Taib Mahmud should heed the views of the Christian Federation of Malaysia(CFM) by demanding that Hishamudin removed the Alkitab from the list of publications listed as a threat to national security. The CFM, which represents 90% of the Christian churches in Malaysia, wants freedom of religion and and worship to be upheld as enshrined in Article 11(1) of the Federal Constitution and Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
CFM had said that there is systematic and progressive erosion of the right of Christians practise, profess, and express their faith. That is why CFM had called for the immediate revocation of all orders made under the Internal Security Act 1960, which have declared the Alkitab as a threat to national security. CFM also wants the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 amended so that the Alkitab is no longer considered a threat to public order.
DAP fully considers the characterization of the Holy Scriptures by the Home Ministry as threats to national security and public order as outrageous insult and unwarranted humiliation. This is another “stupid idea” that should be revoked. As such Taib should prove that two stupid ideas doesn’t makes one clever by demanding that Hishamudin remove from all laws the classification of the Holy Scriptures as threats to national security and public order.