Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 23.1.2012.
At its meeting yesterday, the Penang State EXCO expresses grave concern at a police report lodged by Rev John Kennady of the St Marks Anglican Church at the Butterworth police station against an anonymous pamphlet notifying that there would be a “festival” to burn Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible this Sunday at 10 am. The notice left in the church’s letterbox, had invited the public to burn the Malay version of the Bible in front of Dewan Ahmad Badawi at the Bagan Luar municipality field in Butterworth.
The Penang state government unreservedly condemns such provocative, irresponsible and dangerous attempts to burn the Malay version of the Bible, which would also burn down the country with hatred and religious intolerance. The Penang state government urges Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein Onn to impose stringent measures to prevent such abhorrent and vile acts that would endanger national harmony and heighten religious tensions.
At the same time, the Penang state government strongly condemns Perkasa for calling for the burning of the Malay version of the Bible in Penang. Whether Perkasa is involved or not, there is no doubt that such inflammatory pamphlets were distributed after Perkasa had issued this fiery threat. Clearly, the continued support of Perkasa by the federal government and BN can no longer be justified merely to gain political capital.
Therefore stern action should be taken by the Federal government according to the law against Perkasa to prove that such threats by Perkasa is neither sanctioned nor condoned by the Federal government leaders.
LIM GUAN ENG
—–Mandarin Version —-
槟州首席部长林冠英于2012年1月23日在乔治市发表声明：
在昨天的行政会议上，槟州行政议员对于圣马克圣公会教堂（St Marks Anglican church）的约翰肯内基牧师（Rev John Kennady）向警方报案一事高度关注，他报警指出他在邮箱中发现纸条，宣称星期日早上10点，在北海峇眼赖郊区的阿末巴达威礼堂前，进行一项焚烧马来版圣经的“节日”，并号召民众响应。
槟州政府毫无保留地谴责这种煽动性、不负责任及危险的企图，焚烧马来版圣经，也将一举让我国焚毁于仇恨及宗教不容忍当中。槟州政府促请内政部长拿督斯里希山慕丁采取严厉的行动，阻止这种可恶及卑鄙的举动，这只会危害国民和谐及加剧宗教紧张。
同时，槟州政府强烈谴责土著权威组织竟然号召在槟城焚烧马来文版圣经。无论土权有没有参与，无疑的是，上述煽动性传单是在土权发表上述鼓动性言论之后派发的。很明显地，联邦政府及国阵支持土权的理由已经站不住脚，他们只是为了捞取政治资本。
因此，联邦政府必须依法采取行动对付土权组织，以证明土权的威胁是不被允许、也不是任何联邦政府领袖可以袒护的。
林冠英