THE case has been mentioned in the Editorial. Besides seeking the return of the material seized by customs, SIB Sabah is also asking the court for the following declarations:
- That it is the constitutional right and the legitimate expectation of the Church and its members to use the term “Allah” as a translation of the word “God” in the Bahasa Malaysia or Bahasa Indonesia Bible and other Christian publications.
- That SIB and its members are guaranteed equality of all persons before the law and are protected from discrimination against citizens, in particular in the exercise of powers under the Printing Presses & Publications Act 1984.
- That subsidiary legislation made by order published in the Gazette under Section 22 of the Internal Security Act 1960 pertaining to the prohibition of the Al-Kitab is “unconstitutional and in violation of Article 3 [the provision making Islam the religion of the federation and the guarantee that all religions may be practised in peace and harmony throughout Malaysia], Article 8 [equality before the law and non-discrimination on grounds of religion], Article 11 [freedom of relgion], Article 12 [rights in respect of religion] and Article 149 [legislation against subversion, acts prejudicial to public order, etc.] of the Federal Constitution”.
- That in categorising the matter of the use of the word “Allah” as a security issue and in effecting the prohibition, the Federal Government has infringed Articles 74, 76 and 80 of the Constitution by transgressing into a matter which is not within the powers of the Federal Government.
- That under Article 11 and Article 12 of the Federal Constitution, it is the constitutional right of the church to import such publications to instruct their children in their religion in the exercise of their religious freedom.
- That the federal government and a Minister of the Federal government are obliged to meet and to fulfill the legitimate expectations of the SIB and its members with regard to the protection of their religious rights, including the freedom to practice their religion without unlawful or unconstitutional interference. The Report of the Commission of Enquiry, North Borneo and Sarawak, 1962, (commonly referred to as the Cobbold Commission) noted the reservations of the non-Muslim communities of the two territories to the provision making Islam the religion of the Federation. The views of the two members from the Federation of Malaya which prevailed over the British members contain the assurance that: “Taking these points fully into consideration, we are agreed that Islam should be the national religion for the Federation. We are satisfied that the proposal in no way jeopardises freedom of religion in the Federation, which in effect would be secular.”
Please pray for divine wisdom as Christian lawyers handle and argue the case. Pray for justice and freedom to prevail in Malaysia.
General Election
THE country’s 12th General Election will be held soon. Pray for a clean and fair election and for God’s sovereignty over our nation by installing the Government of His choice. This is the ideal time for the people to voice their grievances; let’s pray the elected Government would seriously heed the grievances made by the people and take concrete plans to solve the issues, not just engage in rhetorics. Persevere in prayer despite (or because of) the circumstances. God is still on the throne and His ears are inclined to His children who cry out to Him.
Judiciary
OUR judiciary has suffered a massive blow to its integrity with the ongoing infamous ‘Lingam’ Royal Commission. Not only that, our country’s image has taken a battering worldwide.
As Malaysians read in disgust about the underhand dealings and the muck that have been exposed, we must acknowledge the Government for allowing the inquiry in the first place, no matter what the agenda the Government had for giving the go-ahead.
The exposes have been said to be just the tip of the iceberg. We therefore need to cry out to God for mercy. Pray for God’s light to penetrate the darkness of the corrupted courts and bring to light the evil that has been committed in the closets. Pray for His judgement to fall on those who have in any way perverted justice for their selfish gains.
Praise God for the few in the judiciary who remain fearless, selfless and righteous in discharging their duties. Pray for them to be strengthened in their resolve to mete justice. Finally, pray for ourselves, as children of Mighty Judge, that we will not just pray, but take actions whenever the opportunities arise. |
