Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 24.1.2013.
The PR Penang state government shall not engage with BN’s destructive politics of lies but focus on real challenges of strengthening peace and harmony amongst Penangites in taking a united stand in the face of extreme religious and racial provocations. Perkasa had issued an inflammatory threat to burn the Bible in their annual general meeting opened by former UMNO President Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which was then followed by a pamphlet distributed by unknown parties calling for a Bible burning festival this Sunday in Butterworth.
The Penang PR state government has made our point in objecting to Gerakan’s Penang Run organised with federal government agencies on Thaipusam Day. A government should not organise an event on Thaipusam Day as it is insensitive and disrespectful to a religious occasion of Hindus celebrated as a public holiday. We have also clarified to Hindus wrongly blaming the state government’s involvement, that it is not organised by the state government because the words “Penang Run” was used without the state government’s approval.
PR State Government Had Never Prevented Events Using The Word Penang Including Penang Starwalk.
In trying to distract attention from their failure to be sensitive and respectful to Indians, BN media puppets such as The Star and Gerakan are now trying to distort my explanation of the words Penang Run not getting state approval into that I had banned the usage of the word Penang. Clearly the Star lied as the Penang state government had never banned events that used the word “Penang”, organised without state government’s approval.
Even the Star had organised Penang Starwalk yearly without any trouble since 2008. The fact that no event using the word Penang was banned is sufficient proof for the people to know who the liars are.
Instead the Penang state government will focus on issues of national importance as Penang will be center of national and international attention on whether the Bible burning festival will take place as planned on Sunday in Dewan Ahmad Badawi in Butterworth. The Penang state government will do all it can to ensure this vile and abhorrent act that is a sacrilege to religious respect and freedom is not allowed to take place.
I have directed the MPSP Yang di Pertua Puan Maimunah binte Mohd Shariff to ensure that no one enters the MPSP-owned Dewan Ahmad Badawi to conduct such open burning of the Bible or of any other documents. I have also written to the Penang CPO to request full assistance and take all security steps necessary to ensure that the image and dignity of Penang is protected to ensure that such shameful acts are not allowed to happen which will not only disgrace Penang but also Malaysia.
In the meantime, I urge all peace-loving Malaysians, Muslim and non-Muslim to pray together for peace, harmony, religious respect and goodwill to prevail this Sunday.
Lim GuanEng
—-Mandarin Version —–
槟城首席部长林冠英于2013年1月24日在乔治市光大发表声明：
槟州民联政府不应该忙于反击国阵的谎言毁灭性政治，而应该把焦点放在真正的挑战，团结一致，反对极端的宗教及种族挑衅。
槟州民联政府不应该忙于反击国阵的谎言毁灭性政治，而应该把焦点放在真正的挑战，团结一致，反对极端的宗教及种族挑衅。土著权威组织已经发表了煽动性言论，恫言在他们的常年大会（由前巫统主席敦马哈迪开幕）上焚烧圣经，接着，便有不知名人士发派小册子，号召人们在本星期日进行“焚烧圣经节庆”。
槟州民联政府已经表达我们的立场，反对民政党在大宝森节当天，与联邦政府组织联办“槟城跑”。一个政府不应该在大宝森节当天主办活动，这对列为公共假期的兴都教宗教节日是敏感、不尊重。我们也已经向兴都徒澄清，他们错怪州政府，这不是州政府主办的活动，因为“槟城跑”的“Penang”字眼未获州政府批准。
槟州民联政府从来没有阻止活动使用“Penang”字眼，包括“星报竞走比赛”（Penang Starwalk）
为了转移视线来掩饰国阵对印度族群的不敏感及不尊重，国阵媒体的傀儡如《星报》及《民政党》正试图扭曲我的解释，将《槟城跑》的字眼不获州政府批准，解释成我已经禁用“Penang”字眼。很明显地，槟州政府从来没有禁止那些未经州政府批准、使用“Penang”字眼的活动。
就连星报主办的星报竞走比赛（Penang Starwalk）自2008年，每年都举办。事实上，那些使用“Penang”字眼的活动都没有被禁止，已经足以证明谁在说谎。
反之，槟州政府会继续把焦点放在全国课题，因为槟州北海阿末巴达威礼堂在本星期日，是否会发生“焚烧圣经节庆”已经成为国家及国际的焦点。槟州政府会竭尽所能，绝不允许这种卑鄙及可恶、对一个宗教及自由的亵渎的行为及事件发生。
我已经指示威省市政局主席麦慕娜确保没有人可以进入市政局属下的阿末巴达威礼堂， 进行公开焚烧圣经与其它文件。我也已经致函槟州总警长，要求他全力协助、采取一切必要的措施，以保护槟城的形象及尊严，不让这种可耻的事情发生，这不只会让槟城蒙羞，也会让马来西亚蒙羞。
同时，我促请全体热爱和平的马来西亚人、穆斯林及非穆斯林一同祷告， 希望这个星期日和平、和谐、尊重宗教及善意能获胜，不让恶徒得逞。
林冠英