HALF a year after the illegal demolition of their newly-built church, the Orang Asli (OA) Christians of Kampung Pasu village have been assured of a new building by Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi.
The assurance came through the PM’s political secretary who recently met NECF Malaysia Secretary-General Rev Wong Kim Kong and other Christian leaders in the NECF office to discuss issues relating to the Christian community.
The political secretary also conveyed the PM’s displeasure at the incident, which occurred last September. NECF had immediately reported the matter to the PM after officers from the Temer-loh Land Office and others tore down the just-completed church built for some 40 OA Christians residing in Kampung Pasu and surrounding villages. These villages are located in the district of Temerloh, Pahang.
The church was planted by SIB Semenanjung and pastored by Ajos Larau. According to Pr Ajos, about 30 people tore down the RM25,000 building last Sept 30, five days before its scheduled inaugural Sunday service.
He added that government officers, including the Temerloh state assembly-man, a policeman and a reporter stood by and watched while about 30 people hammered down the building.
Immediately after the incident, one of the church members, Yaman Wet – whose father owned the land where the church sat on – lodged a police report. While making the report, he was told by a policeman that the church was demolished because it sat on government land.
Yaman and his father subsequently filed a civil suit against the Temerloh Land Office and among documents submitted to the court were documents proving that the land belonged to Yaman’s father and a written approval by the village headman consenting to the building of the church. |
