Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 6.1.2014.
Tan Sri Muhyidin Yassin Should Recant His Provocative Support For UMNO Selangor’s Proposed Demonstrations Outside Catholic Churches On Sunday And Sanctioning The Forcible Extension And Compulsion Of Islamic Laws On Non-Muslims.
DAP lauds the unity, harmony and genuine goodwill displayed outside the Sunday mass at the Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Klang, Selangor yesterday which was attended not only by nearly 1,000 Catholics but few Muslims, including social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, expressing solidarity with the Christians.
Marina pointedly said to forget about the ambitious Visit Malaysia Year, as few would want to visit a Malaysia like this where there is no moderation or is now known as a country which grabs Bibles.
Such moderation, respect for religious diversity and solidarity with other faiths is in direct contrast to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s provocative support for UMNO Selangor’s proposal to demonstrate outside Catholic churches during their prayers on Sunday. Muhyidin should learn how to be a peacemaker from Marina instead of being a religious bigot and rabble-rouser for political gain by being a champion of oppressing the rights of non-Muslims.
The Selangor UMNO Chairman is a well known nationally as a racist and extremist and his actions in fanning the fires of religious hatred have made UMNO repugnant to all right-thinking Malaysians not bewitched by the perks and privileges of Ministerial posts. But what is shocking is the support given by Muhyiddin which even the police did not approve.
By sanctioning Selangor UMNO’s initial intention to hold demonstrations outside Catholic churches during Sunday prayers Muhydin is lending the authority of his office to launch a dangerous attack on the fundamental human and constitutional right of freedom of religion. Never before has a governing political party been sanctioned to demonstrate outside a place of worship and our first three Prime Ministers of Malaysia would have reacted with utter horror at such an uncvilised act.
Muhyiddin is behaving irresponsibly and unmoved that such hostile acts would damage interfaith relations and destroy the religious harmony assiduously built up in Malaysia by the various communities since Merdeka in 1957. If the precedent of allowing demonstrations to be held in front of a place of religious worship, what is there to stop similar demonstrations to be held in other places of religiosus worship. Muhyidin must explain why is it okay to demonstrate against Catholic churches but not against price hikes on sugar, petrol, power tariffs and highway tolls imposed by BN?
Similarly, the raid by Selangor Islamic Religious Department’s (Jais) on the premises of the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) is completely unacceptable JAIS raid is unacceptable because questions are asked whether Chinese or Hindu temples would be next. The Islamic authorities do not have the authority in law to enter the premises of non-Muslim religious establishments for inspection, search or raid, unless related to attempts to propagate non-Islamic religions to Muslims. This is the constitutional provision accepted by everyone that JAIS can only intrude on a non-Muslim premise in pursuit of Muslims that transgresses Islamic law or syariah but not against non-Muslims.
For this reason, Tan Sri Muhyidin Yassin should recant his provocative support for UMNO Selangor’s proposed demonstrations outside Catholic Churches on Sunday and sanctioning the forcible extension and compulsion of Islamic laws on non-Muslims. The constitutional right of freedom of religion shall and must include the rights of religious communities in the country to freely profess and administer their affairs. The wild and blood-curdling remarks made by a state Mufti that blood of peaceful protesters can be lawfully shed in the eyes of Islam. have only generated increased concern amongst non-Muslims not just of religious intolerance but of religious persecution.
DAP does not agree that with the application of Islamic laws on non-Muslims. The great irony is that BN and UMNO had been warning non-Muslims about the dangers of PAS imposing Islamic laws on non-Muslims, and yet BN has shown their true colours of hypocrisy and double-standard by using force and compulsion against non-Muslims in exactly what they had accused others of doing.
LIM GUAN ENG
—–Mandarin Version—-
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2014年1月6日在吉隆坡发表声明：
丹斯里慕尤丁应该撤回他对雪州巫统提议星期日在天主教堂外示威的煽动式支持、以及遏止将伊斯兰法强行加诸及延伸在非穆斯林身上。
行动党表扬星期日在巴生路德圣母天主教堂外展现的团结、和谐及真诚的善意，不只近1000名天主教徒出席了礼拜，也包括数名穆斯林，包括社会活跃者拿汀巴杜卡玛丽娜，到场声援基督徒。玛丽娜说，不用谈什么大马旅游年，因为不会有人要到像马来西亚这样不温和、不中庸的地方，现在全世界都知道马来西亚扣押圣经。
如此的温和、尊重宗教多元及团结直接对比了副首相丹斯里慕尤丁的煽动式支持，他认同雪州巫统提议星期日礼拜时在天主教堂外示威。慕尤丁应该向玛丽娜学习如何调停纠纷，而不是为了政治利益成为宗教盲信者或与乌合之众起哄，通过压迫非穆斯林权利出位。
雪州巫统主席是出了名种族及极端主义者，他在宗教仇恨方面煽风点火已经让巫统显得与思想正确、不贪恋部长官职的马来西亚人格格不入。更让人吃惊的是，当警方都不同意时，慕尤丁竟然支持。
他认可雪州巫统原本要在星期日礼拜时，在天主教堂外进行示威的计划。这如同利用他的官位及权限来发动违反宗教自由这项基本人权及宪法权利的危险攻击。从来没有任何一个执政党去认可这种在宗教场所外进行的示威，我们前三任首相肯定会严厉谴责这种不文明的举动。
慕尤丁对于敌对行为如此不负责任地、无动于衷，这将会破坏宗教间的关系、摧毁马来西亚自1957年独立，各族人民辛辛苦苦建立起来的宗教和谐。一旦让在宗教场所门前举行示威开了先例，我们要如此制止发生在其它的宗教场所前的示威？慕尤丁应该要解释，为什么他允许在天主教堂前示威，却不允许人民针对国阵让白糖、汽油、电费及大道过路费起价进行示威？
同样地，雪州伊斯兰宗教局（JAIS）突击马来西亚圣经公会的行动是完全不能被接受的，人们在问，下一步是不是要对付华人神庙或是兴都庙。伊斯兰当局在法律上没有权利进入非穆斯林宗教场所进行检查、搜查或突击，除非它是有关向穆斯林宣导非伊斯兰教义。这是国民认同的宪法条例，即雪州伊斯兰宗教局只能入侵非穆斯林建筑物，以对付违反伊斯兰教义或伊斯兰法的穆斯林，而不是对付非穆斯林。
丹斯里慕尤丁应该撤回他对雪州巫统提议星期日礼拜时在天主教堂外示威的煽动式支持、以及遏止将伊斯兰法强行加诸及延伸在非穆斯林身上。宪法赋予的宗教自由权利必须及一定要包含国内宗教社群能够自由地讲授及处理他们的事务。身为一州的宗教司发表那种野蛮及血腥的言论，指和平抗议者的血在伊斯兰眼里是合法的等等，不只会引起非穆斯林之间更加关注宗教的不容忍，也包括宗教迫害。
行动党不赞同将伊斯兰法贯彻到非穆斯林身上。最大的讽刺是，国阵及巫统一直在警告非穆斯林关于伊斯兰党有意在非穆斯林身上贯彻伊斯兰法的危险，现在国阵终于露出他们虚伪及双重标准的真面目，恶人先告状，对非穆斯林采取强硬及强制的手段。
林冠英