A group of Christians lodged a police report today over the impounding and stamping of the 35,100 Bahasa Malaysia Bibles in Port Klang and Kuching.

They also demanded an apology from the Home Ministry and government over the recent episode.

Calling themselves Coalition of Malaysian Christians (COMC), they said that the police report was aimed at demanding a thorough investigation into the whole debacle, and to determine the rationale behind the act which the group described as a "gross travesty of the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom".

"The Al Kitab and the 'Allah' court case are separate issues; and the federal government has no right to ban the Al Kitab under the law.

Ronnie Klassen "Such developments as Christianity being singled out as a threat is unacceptable, as there are no such conditions imposed on the holy books of other religions, including Islam," said COCM spokesperson Ronnie Klassen ( right ).

"As Christians of both Protestant and Catholic persuasions, we wish to register our deep hurt and outrage at the Home Ministry action of desecrating over 5,100 copies of the Al Kitab stamped with serial numbers, government seals and warnings that the books are meant for Christians only," he said in a statement.

"Any person who respects the holy scriptures of any religion would be appalled by such an action,"  added Klassen.

Copies of the Bahasa Malaysia Bibles - named Al Kitab - were impounded at Port Klang and Kuching after it was found that it contained several religious terms forbidden for non-Muslim use.

The Home Ministry had earlier also claimed that releasing the Bibles would also mean acting in contempt of the court because of an ongoing trial regarding the usage of the word 'Allah' by a Catholic publication Herald .

Later they said that they would release the Bibles , but only after they are stamped with serial numbers, and warnings that the bibles are for Christians only.

This enraged Christian groups further, describing it as an act of 'defacement'.

The government later softened its stand on the stamping and serial numbers, but said that future copies of Bahasa Malaysia Bibles would have to include the words 'For Christianity Only' in size 16 font.

'Government moves goal posts'

The coalition also made several other demands from the Home Ministry. They include:

  • Return the Al Kitab to the publisher and replace them with new Al Kitab;
  • That no Al Kitab be destroyed or further defaced;
  • That the government bear all costs and give written assurance that such desecration will never happen again;
  • That the ministry will not act on its own without due consultation with the relevant Christian representative organisations;
  • Due respect is given to the Al Kitab by consulting the relevant Christian representative organisations before any external text is inserted in the Bible; and,
  • The 30,000 Malay bibles worth RM78,000 imported by the Sarawak branch of global Christian group, The Gideons, be unconditionally released from Kuching port.

"It is the government that has moved the goal posts over the years through the systematic imposition of unreasonable conditions and restrictions," said Klassen.

"Christians are horrified by the arrogance of the Home Ministry and its officials and the contemptuous act of defacing the Al Kitab is sacrilege."

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