17th April 2013
NECF Press Statement
The Wise and Common-sense Thing for Christians To Do on 5 May 2013
Ever since the Election Commission announced polling on 5 May 2013, many Christians have expressed disappointment over the date. The evangelical Christian community in Malaysia particularly those in Sabah and Sarawak are especially unhappy that the government has not been considerate to Christian sentiments by fixing polling for the general election on a Sunday.
Such an act is a mark of disrespect to a majority of Christians who meet on Sundays to conduct worship and the Holy Communion.
This is not the first instance where such insensitivity has been shown to Christians. In the past, we have received complaints about examinations and lectures in institutions of higher learning conducted on Sundays, thereby depriving Christian students, both local and foreign, from practising their faith unhindered.
To conduct polling on a Sunday presents a moral and spiritual dilemma to pastors, church leaders as well as congregants. Christians will now have to juggle between their spiritual devotion to attend Sunday service and their duty to vote as citizens of the country. For many, this will entail traveling back to their hometowns and localities in order to cast their votes. This difficulty is compounded in East Malaysia by distance and travel arrangement problems.
Despite this, NECF Malaysia is appealing to all Christians and churches to remain positive, remembering that both worship and voting are all part of the Christian duty and responsibility towards God and the nation. We believe it is possible to both honour God and exercise our right to vote.
Holding Saturday services or evening Sunday services as alternatives to facilitate voting is not only wise but a common-sense thing to do. This change might be helpful to those in East Malaysia as some polling centers close as early as 1pm.
Such a step would reflect good Christian engagement in view of the crucial importance of the general election to our nation.
Eugene Yapp
Secretary-General
NECF Malaysia
Translation - Bahasa Malaysia. |
