Celebrating 400 Years of the Malay-language Bible
by L Kristanto-Loh
From left, STM Principal Dr Ezra Kok, BSM Secretary-General Rev Dr Simon Wong,
United Bible Societies' Rev Dr Daud Soesilo, Kairos Research Centre's Dr Ng Kam Weng,
BSM Chairman Mr Lee Min Choon and Anniversary Organising Chairperson Rev Dr Lim Kar Yong.
THE Malay-language Bible is 400 years old this year. In 1612, the first translation of the Gospel of Matthew into the Malay language was completed by AC Ruyl, a Dutch tradesman. Just a year earlier, the King James Version Bible had been published. Ruyl's translation of Matthew was subsequently printed in 1629. It was the earliest translation of a portion of the Bible ever published in a non-European language.
Did you know that Ruyl translated fig tree as "puhoon pisang". It was simply that a banana tree would make more sense to readers then, who had never seen a fig tree!
To mark the occasion, more than 100 people attended an anniversary celebration organised by the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and Seminari Theoloji Malaysia (STM) at Trinity Methodist Church, Petaling Jaya, on 3 March 2012.
A seminar was held in conjunction with the event. Papers presented were on Ruyl's Malay Translation of Matthew's Gospel, The Allah Controversy: Ideological and Theological Contestation, legal issues surrounding the Bahasa Malaysia (BM) Alkitab, and challenges in printing and distribution of the Alkitab. Translators involved in the translation of the Alkitab also shared their perspectives of the work.
A Thanksgiving Service ended the day of celebration, with a specially-written prayer and a message on the challenges facing believers in East Malaysia.
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A serialised Alkitab. |
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Finally, Lee Min Choon, President of the Bible Society of Malaysia, honoured the translators present by giving each a token gift of an Alkitab with a serial number. These were part of the consignment of 5,000 BM Bibles confiscated by the Home Ministry, serialised and stamped with the ministry's seal in 2011. BSM has said these "defaced" copies cannot be sold but is keeping them as heritage pieces.
As one of the recipients, I am more convinced than ever that we must preserve the labour of love done by a host of translators over the past four centuries. The 400 years of translation and revision work that has brought us the full Alkitab today is a heritage and testimony of a Divine Hand at work. May God grant us the strength to join the apostle Paul in his resolution in 2 Timothy 2: 9b-10, that "The word of God is not in chains, and so I endure everything for the sake of God's chosen people, in order that they too may obtain the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus and brings eternal glory".
Editor's note: The Alkitab, Kalam Hidup and Perjanjian Baru publications are still banned by orders made under the Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960 for being "prejudicial to national interests and security". This is despite the fact that the ISA has now been abolished and replaced with a new law. The Christian Federation of Malaysia has called on the government to revoke the orders. |
