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Bishop reiterates opposition to '1 nation, 2 rules' policy

Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing reiterated his stance that a federal government policy of one rule for Borneo and another for the Peninsula on the dissemination of the Al Kitab was "flatly unacceptable."

"I don't want to sound churlish especially after what appears to have been a congenial meeting between the prime minister and the leaders of the Sarawak Association of Churches in Kuching yesterday," said the titular head of the diocese of Malacca-Johor to Malaysiakini today.

"But if the meeting did not go some distance towards removal of this ‘one-nation two-policies' federal government stance on the dissemination of the Al Kitab, then we are at square one as far as this matter is concerned," said the prelate who is also president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia.

economic transformation programme 210910 idris jala 02 On April 2, Minister in the PM's Department Idris Jala proposed that the issue of Al Kitab be treated differently on both sides of the South China Sea.

"For Sabah and Sarawak, in recognition of the large Christian community in these states, there are no conditions attached to the importation and local printing of the bibles in all languages, including Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia and indigenous languages. There is no requirement for any stamp or serial number.

"Taking into account the interest of the larger Muslim community for Peninsula Malaysia, bibles in Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia, imported or printed, must have the words ‘Christian Publication' and the cross sign printed on the front covers," said Idris.

Lasting solution sought

Bishop Paul Tan said he welcomed assurances of the government's readiness to discuss matters of concern to the Christian community.

"But, frankly, openness to discussion and dialogue has not, in the past, been the problem; it is the will to match deed to word, to give effect to fundamental guarantees on freedom of religion enshrined in the federal constitution that is the problem," he asserted.

"When the High Court ruled that Christians have the right to use the term ‘Allah' and that its use was not prejudicial to national security, the Home Ministry's decision to appeal the ruling sent a discordant signal to the Christian community," he explained.

"None of the government's recent overtures on the Al Kitab affair deals with this issue which is the crux of the matter. Pussyfooting around it may treat its symptoms but not the ailment," Bishop Paul Tan added.

"We spurn the notion we are supplicants on this matter. We are not; we are proponents of the idea that if a strict construction is placed on the freedom of religion guarantee in the constitution, we are sinned against rather than sinning in the matter of the dissemination of the Al Kitab," argued the bishop.

He said any interpretation that the 10-point plan aired by Idris, followed by yesterday's meeting of church leaders with Najib constituted a satisfactory solution to the problem of Al Kitab and its dissemination, was "political triumphalism".

"Christian leaders want a lasting solution to this issue, not something that is expedient for the moment. The only durable solution is one that does not differentiate between Christians of the two parts of Malaysia. Anything else is flatly unacceptable," reiterated Bishop Paul Tan.

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