NECF Malaysia is intensifying efforts to help National Service (NS) Christian trainees to attend church services on Sunday. Several pastors and trainees’ parents have complained to NECF that some camp commandants had denied permission to trainees to attend Sunday services.
At the start of the NS programme, NECF Malaysia had sent a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Najib Abdul Razak, who heads the NS programme, urging him to ensure that trainees be allowed to carry on their religious routines, including attending church meetings on Sunday.
The letter said that spiritual practices would contribute to the inculcation of noble values, which is one of the three major objectives of the NS programme. NECF also informed the DPM that its member-churches were willing to help the trainees in providing spiritual support and providing transportation to church.
Following the complaints from pastors and parents, NECF sent a follow-up letter to the DPM reminding him of his pledge to leaders of various religious organisations that trainees would have the freedom to practise their religious beliefs. The pledge was made when the DPM, who was then the Defence Minister, met with representatives from the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism.
On a positive note, two churches are joining hands to help Christian trainees at Kem Sri Impian, Penang, and they are receiving full cooperation from the camp’s commandant. The Nibong Tebal Gospel Hall (NTGH) and Parit Buntar Baptist Centre (PBBC) are jointly holding a special Sunday service, held at 4pm, that is geared to meet the trainees’ needs.
According to PBBC pastor, Choo Kien Wai, the joint ministry started when somebody handed the NTGH pastor’s telephone number to the camp commandant.
“We then visited the camp to make arrangement. At first we were supposed to have the worship service at the camp’s community hall at the Sri Impian Camp but the commandant decided to transport the Christian trainees to NTGH for the weekly service,” said Pr Choo.
The camp commandant was very responsive to the churches’ initiative, and has even promised to send the next batch of trainees to NTGH for the service every Sunday, Pr Choo enthused. |
