Don’t pass it
The Lina Joy case has stirred such great interest that in August, SMS messages were intensely circulating saying that the Federal Court had reached a decision on the case. Thinking the messages to be true, several groups gathered at the Palace of Justice that housed the Federal Court to await the decision.
In response, Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim told reporters on Aug 23, “We will not rush to deliver the decision”.
Similarly NECF Malaysia wrote to its member churches to advise them to stop spreading rumours or passing on unverified messages about the issue. NECF urged Christians to remain prayerful at all times and entrust the matter to God’s sovereignty.
When the judgement is released, Christians are reminded to humbly receive the judgement, whatever it may be, and allow the national leadership of the Church to respond appropriately.
In the case, Joy, a Malay who converted to Christianity, wants a declaration that Article 11 of the Constitution gives her the right to convert to another religion.
Joy appealed to the Federal Court against the Court of Appeal’s majority decision on Sept 19 last year, which ruled that the National Registration Department director-general was right in not allowing her application to delete the word “Islam” from her identity card.
The appeal will also rule whether the department had correctly construed its powers under the National Registration Regulations 1990 to require Joy to produce a certificate from the Syariah Court to prove her conversion.
Pray for the three judges – Ahmad Fairuz, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Richard Malanjum and Federal Court Judge Datuk Alauddin Sheriff – that their hearts will be guarded by their oath to judge with integrity, courage and honour. Pray for protection for Joy’s emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing.
On a related matter, lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, who has been holding a watching brief for the Bar Council in Joy’s trial, has been issued death threats for supporting Joy’s appeal.
Malik is described as ‘the traitor-lawyer’ supporting the Joy case. He is also the president of the National Human Rights Society (Hakam), the secretary of the pro-tem committee of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Society (MCLS).
Plead for God to silence the voice of religious and racial extremism intended to provoke riots. Pray for protection and continued courage for those in the forefront of fighting for justice.
Islam Hadhari in our school
The Education Ministry is working towards assimilating Islam Hadhari (civilisational Islam) into the national school curriculum and will hold a national seminar in November to coordinate the programme (Bernama, Sept 13).
Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the plan was in line with the prime minister’s desire and religious and academic experts would attend the seminar.
The ministry is conducting an on-going programme on understanding Islam Hadhari among the academic staff.
Islam Hadhari is what the PM calls “progressive Islam”, a “new approach to Islam that seeks to balance man’s responsibility in the here and the hereafter (this life and the next). It is a response to a “problem” – the so-called backwardness of the Malays (read March/April Berita NECF editorial).
So pray that this programme will help to battle Islamic extremism in our country and the programme will be taught by responsible, fair-minded teachers. Pray that God will use the programme to enlighten the minds of our children and teach them to be more appreciative of each other’s beliefs.
The crime scourge
While the authorities consider effective measures to keep the roads safe, the snatch theft scourge continues to plague the public in the face of the manpower shortage faced by the police. Women have been the prime targets as they are easy prey and even the handicapped ones have not been spared.
Police are taking several measures to arrest the increasing crime rate. Among them is a proposal to introduce the DNA Identification Bill which will empower the police to keep the DNA sample of a criminal.
Other measures include increasing the number of patrols in high crime rate areas and arranging for special forces to raid place identified as snatch theft areas.
The government is also considering training People’s Volunteer Corp (Rela) members and making Rukun Tetangga compulsory to help make our roads and neighbourhoods safer.
Meanwhile, it was reported that crime is expected to be aggravated with growing urbanisation. By 2010, six out of 10 Malaysians will be living in cities and it is anticipated that this surge in urban population will generate acute social problems, especially crime.
The authorities must therefore ensure that housing, jobs, public safety and utilities for the urban population are adequate to meet future challenges.
Pray for the various government departments and ministries – for example, the Home Affairs and Defence Ministries, and Police and Immigration departments – to work in unity, that they will be focussed on the issues and solutions. Pray for churches to be effective in their roles to be a blessing to their communities, helping to promote and strengthen neighbourly ties with their community activities.
Pray also for the new Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan that God will guide him and give him divine wisdom, courage and will to make our place safer. Pray God will help him to stand against corruption and immorality, and as the chief police of the country, he will be a man of justice and integrity.
Poor management
A special fund channelled to several states to help the poor has been used for unrelated matters, according to the recently-released Auditor-General’s Report 2005.
Apart from Terengganu, which received the lion share of the fund, the other poorer states that received some money are Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, Pahang and Negri Sembilan.
Kedah state government used its RM40 million fund to put up billboards to announce the premier and deputy premier’s visits, buy pin labels for dignitaries as well as hats and clothes for the state assembly’s march pass team in conjunction with the Merdeka celebrations, and pay for the carpets and ‘timber blinds’ in the menteri besar’s office and filming equipment for ntv7 crews.
Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan took out RM5.44 million from the fund to acquire furniture for the Seremban and Port Dickson district councils administration office, and RM4.50 million to convert the state’s official guest house into the menteri besar’s residence.
Pahang spent RM0.92 million from the fund to finance the additional cost incurred in the construction of the Islamic Council and Malay Cultural complex. The report stated that the additional cost should have been borne by the Pahang Islamic Council.
Pray for honesty, integrity and wisdom for the state governments concerned that they usee the funds to help improve the lives of the poor in their states. Thank God for the honest, impartial and detailed Auditor-General’s report that has exposed the misuse and abuse of the fund meant to help the poor.
Pray that the report will compel the authorities to act swiftly to correct their missteps.
Four States
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz wants the constitutional law, which forbids others to spread religions other than Islam to the Muslims, to be streamlined nationwide.
He told reporters at the Parliament lobby on Aug 24 that Sarawak, Sabah, Federal Territory and Penang had yet to adopt the law.
Four days later, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi directed the four states to amend their respective constitutions to pave the way for the implementation of the Federal Constitution pertaining to religion.
Pray for God’s wisdom and strength for the Church and for Christians to remember God’s charge to be salt and light. Pray Christians will shine in their workplace and others will be drawn to God by their lives.
Drug addicts – Police need help
Malaysian police are struggling to resolve the problem of the nation’s estimated 300,000 drug users and want other agencies to help rehabilitate them so that it can focus on nabbing the traffickers and pushers (NST, Aug 9).
The number of addicts in state-run drug rehabilitation programmes has fallen to 5,000 compared to 10,000 three years ago, as more offenders are merely fined and return to the streets under police supervision.
“Rehabilitating addicts will serve the addicts and society better, rather than putting them in prison,” said IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan.
More than half the drug users in Malaysia return to their habit after treatment, resulting in an estimated 40,000 convicted drug users on the streets among a population of 26.7 million population.
Pray for success for the drug rehab centres. Pray for Christian-run centres that God will provide all their financial needs, so that they can focus on making a lasting, life-changing impact on the lives of their inmates.
Suicide
Suicide cases are highest among the Indian community and the main reasons are poverty, alcoholism, physical abuse and high school dropout rates, (The Star, July 24).
It quoted Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia professor Dr T. Maniam as saying that suicides were three times higher in the Indian community with 30-35 per 100,000 cases compared with the national average of 10-12 per 100,000.
The psychiatry professor said suicide cases among the Chinese were 15 per 100,000 and Malays six per 100,000. He noted the Indian community’s lax attitude towards suicide also contributed to the high number.
Dr Maniam recommended that lay counselors be mobilised to provide support to those in distress and to make people aware that there was such a support. The long-term goal is poverty eradication, reduction of access to pesticides and improve marital relationships and parenting skills.
Pray for the various government agencies such as the National Population and Family Development Board, and other NGOs to work together to identify ways to help improve the Indian community through education and vocational and technical training so that they can lead productive lives.
Pray for the Tamil Church that God will grant them ideas for effective social outreach programmes to touch their communities.
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