An NGO says this Christmas is the time for Najib to ponder and really hear the Christians on the issue of fairness and justice.
KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has been asked to stop his “public relations stunts” and instead deal with the biased treatment his federal administration has meted out to Christians in Sabah and Sarawak.
Demanding that Najib “walk his talk”, a local NGO, Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo), said the PM’s “nice words” in his Christmas message yesterday, rang “hollow as far as sincerity and truth is concerned” when compared to the “real situation” in Malaysia affecting Christians.
The foundation’s president Daniel Jambun said that in Sabah especially, the “Christian community continued to be increasingly marginalised and victimised by loads of actions from Najib’s ruling party Umno.”
“This Christmas time is for Najib to ponder and really hear the Christians on the issue of fairness and justice.
“In Sabah especially, we are constantly being marginalised. Christians face difficulty in building their own churches, mission schools are in a sorry state, there’s marginalisation in scholarships and government jobs and promotions.
“What justice does he speak of if mosques, suraus and even madrasahs and all their officials like imam, bilal, missionaries are being salaried from taxes the government collected from us the rakyat while our churches and officials are being left out only for the faithfuls to support?
“And on top of that, there seem to be various open concerted efforts from the government agencies to frustrate the development of Christianity in worship, education, literature, arts, even cultures. We cannot even put up crosses,” said Jambun.
Christians marginalised
Jambun, who is also a deputy chairman of the Sabah chapter of opposition State Reform Party (STAR), also raised the issue of the Alkitab and Bibles which are subjected to unnecessary scrutiny.
“Our Alkitab or Malay Bibles are still being subjected to unnecessary scrutiny by Muslim officers of the Home Ministry which is an intimidation because these Bibles are meant for Christians.
“Why must Muslim officers be scrunitising them (books)? Where is justice when you tax us to pay your officers to whack us ? It is absurd, ” said Jambun further demanding to know how many thousands of Alkitabs and other Christian books were still in the custody of the Home Ministry?
He said the civil service was also a poor reflection of the ‘fairness’ with Christian officers being sidelined in many departments.
“In many departments, there are less than five or even two percent of Christian staff, and this reflect the condition of fairness Najib is talking about.
“Listen to our grouses, walk your talk, and stop doing a public relations just to spruce up your dented image Mr Prime Minister.
“Sabah and Sarawakian Christians who are majority (in Borneo) demand better treatment,” Jambun said in a statement issued today.
Luke Rintod
Isu-isu yang melibatkan sentimen agama semata-mata untuk kepentingan politik hanya akan mengundang suasana tidak sihat di kalangan rakyat di negara ini.
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ReplyDeletekejadian yang berlaku di sesetengah negara perlu dijadikan sebagai satu ikhtibar apabila punca keadaan porak-peranda ada- lah disebabkan rakyatnya tidak lagi bersatu menyebabkan mereka hidup dalam keadaan tidak tenteram.
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DeleteBerlainan di negara ini rakyat terdiri dari pelbagai kaum dan agama menik- mati kesejahteraan hidup yang mana ia hasil kesedaran dan rasa syukur dengan nikmat keamanan yang telah dikecapi sejak berdekad lamanya.
ReplyDeleteOleh itu, Ketua Menteri Sabah mengajak rakyat di negeri ini agar sentiasa mensyukuri nikmat keamanan yang kita kecapi dan menjadikan kejadian di negara-negara lain sebagai iktibar.
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DeleteJangan biarkan pihak lain untuk merosakkan perpaduan yang negara sentiasa amalkan. Biarkah unsur baik ini terus dinikmati oleh semua pihak.
DeleteBagaimanapun, jangan kita lupa terhadap golongan yang kurang bernasib baik seperti Orang Kurang Upaya atau OKU, anak-anak yatim, warga emas dan mereka yang daif untuk kita bantu seadanya.
ReplyDeletemeningkatkan kekuatan fizikal dan mental sekali gus menguji ketahanan diri termasuklah sabar menempuh pelbagai cabaran dengan pelbagai fitnah daripada pembangkang.
ReplyDeleteIts a great challenge for themselves to do better.
DeleteTurun padang dan memberikan bantuan ke- pada golongan yang memerlukan bantuan.
ReplyDeletedengan adanya bantuan seumpama ini sekurang-kurangnya mampu meringankan beban mereka dalam meneruskan kehidupan seperti biasa.
ReplyDeleteMatlamat utama ialah untuk membantu golongan yang memerlukan bantuan, jadi teruskan usaha ynag terbaik.
ReplyDeleteUmno Sabah khususnya, sentiasa menekankan perkara ini.
ReplyDeleteTidak pernah lupa golongan yang kurang bernasib baik yang memerlukan bantuan. Kerajaan Negeri akan teruskan usaha..
ReplyDeleteBanyak juag program yang dilaksanakan untuk membantu mereka yang memerlukan bantuan.
DeleteKerajaan sentiasa membantu mereka yang memerlukannya. Ini juga terbukti kerajaan ikhlas untuk membawa negara ke peringkat yang lebih berkembang.
DeleteDatuk Musa Aman selalu menyarankan kepada wakil-wakil rakyat Barisan Nasional supaya turun padang untuk menyumbang sedikit bantuan kepada golongan tersebut.
ReplyDeleteRasanya setiap wakil rakyat diberi peruntukan untuk melaksanakan projek2 yang kecil berhubung kebajikan rakyat.
DeleteRakyat di negeri ini yang terdiri dari berbilang etnik dan agama merupakan contoh terbaik terhadap keharmonian di dalam kepelbagaian budaya kerana hubungan kemasyarakatannya jelas menunjukkan pencapaian tahap persefahaman dan penerimaan yang tinggi terhadap tradisi dan kebudayaan masing-masing.
ReplyDeleteTahap penerimaan yang tinggi dan mendalam terhadap penonjolan warisan tradisi pelbagai etnik di sini adalah sejajar dengan hasrat Kerajaan ke arah pembinaan Bangsa Malaysia melalui konseo 1 Malaysia
ReplyDeleteMarilah bersama-sama meneruskan keindahan gabungan unsur-unsur budaya ini sebagai satu kekuatan yang berkekalan untuk diwarisi oleh generasi akan datang disamping memperkukuhkan hubungan harmoni dan semangat kerjasama yang sedia terjalin selama ini.
ReplyDeletekesedaran dan penerimaan yang amat mendalam terhadap tradisi budaya di kalangan penduduk berbilang kaum merupakan landasan yang kuat terhadap kerjasama untuk mencapai kebaikan bersama di dalam pelbagai aspek termasuklah peningkatan taraf hidup.
ReplyDeleteBerhati-hatilah dengan permainan yang cuba dipermainkan oleh pihak pembangkang./
ReplyDeleteMereka sanggup buat apa saja untuk memastikan apa yang mereka inginkan akan mereka perolehi.
ReplyDeletesentimen agama tak patut dimainkan.
ReplyDeletesemua masyarakat tak kira kaum dan agama perlu hidup bersatu padu.
ReplyDeleteO Allah...Merry Christmas bah!
ReplyDeleteThe way to happiness can become contentious when one fails to respect the religious beliefs of others.
ReplyDeleteTolerance is a good cornerstone on which to build human relationships. When one views the slaughter and suffering caused by religious intolerance down all the history of Man and into modern times, one can see that intolerance is a very non-survival activity.
DeleteReligious tolerance does not mean one cannot express his own beliefs. It does mean that seeking to undermine or attack the religious faith and beliefs of another has always been a short road to trouble.
DeletePhilosophers since the times of ancient Greece have disputed with one another about the nature of God, Man and the universe. The opinions of authorities ebb and flow: just now the philosophies of “mechanism”1 and “materialism”2—dating as far back as Ancient Egypt and Greece—are the fad: they seek to assert that all is matter and overlook that, neat as their explanations of evolution may be, they still do not rule out additional factors that might be at work, that might be merely using such things as evolution.
DeleteThey are today the “official” philosophies and are even taught in schools. They have their own zealots who attack the beliefs and religions of others: the result can be intolerance and contention.
DeleteIf all the brightest minds since the fifth century B.C. or before have never been able to agree on the subject of religion or anti-religion, it is an arena of combat between people that one would do well to stay out of.
DeleteIn this sea of contention, one bright principle has emerged: the right to believe as one chooses. “Faith” and “belief” do not necessarily surrender to logic: they cannot even be declared to be illogical. They can be things quite apart.
DeleteMan, since the dawn of the species, has taken great consolation and joy in his religions. Even the “mechanist” and “materialist” of today sound much like the priests of old as they spread their dogma.
DeleteMen without faith are a pretty sorry lot. They can even be given something to have faith in. But when they have religious beliefs, respect them.
DeleteOpposition is racist.
ReplyDeleteCome on, christians are human too.
ReplyDeleteNever listen on the oppositions.
ReplyDeleteWe should beware that.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I concerned he does listen.
ReplyDeletePreserve the unity.
ReplyDeleteChristians should be listened.
ReplyDeleteOur rights should be given too.
ReplyDeleteRemember we are voters as well.
ReplyDeleteNever make any assumptions before you know anything.
ReplyDeleteJangan biarkan kami terpinggir.
ReplyDeleteUsaha kerajaan untuk merapatkan hubungan sesama memang baik.
ReplyDeleteThe government wants Sabah youths to play an active role in society by being volunteers or counsellors to those involved with drug problems and other social ills.
ReplyDeleteThe state government has embarked on an Employment Support Project to provide greater assistance to the disabled in sustaining jobs.
ReplyDeleteMusa has done a lot for Sabah and we can't deny it.
ReplyDeleteMusa amat berpuas hati kerana para peserta termasuk pegawai-pegawai kerajaan dari Sabah dan Sarawak begitu komited untuk mencari input dan kaedah-kaedah terbaik untuk menyelesaikan apa juga masalah yang didapati
ReplyDeleteMusa yakin input atau maklum balas yang diperolehi oleh jawatankuasa itu mampu menangani pelbagai masalah di Sabah termasuk soal pembangunan bumiputera.
ReplyDeleteJawatankuasa Kabinet ditubuhkan bagi menyelesaikan isu-isu berkaitan pembangunan bumiputera Sabah dan Sarawak.
ReplyDeletePromosi adat dan budaya perlu dilakukan berterusan, kata Musa
ReplyDeletePolitical stability is an important factor for attracting investments and allowing businesses to flourish
ReplyDeleteGenuine people-centred reforms and greater respect for human rights and civil liberties in Malaysia remain an illusion. Instead what we see are publicity stunts, slogans and spin
ReplyDelete“Actors” are running amok in Malaysia these days, with their mouths and actions.
ReplyDeleteDatuk Seri Najib Razak today reassured the Christian community in Malaysia that his government has not forgotten them despite growing feelings that they are being sidelined.
ReplyDeleteThe prime minister appeared to placate the community by praising the contributions of Christians in Malaysia, especially the role played by mission schools in raising the bar in education.
ReplyDeletePM is a prime minister for all Malaysians
ReplyDeleteNajib also called for Christian leaders to continue engaging in dialogue and to engage the government constructively
ReplyDeleteNajib told the crowd that he was inspired by Christian leaders who are active participants in the committee and had encouraged the government to improve interreligious relations.
ReplyDeleteBesides praising mission schools, the PM also paid tribute to the many charitable initiatives run by churches such as welfare homes, legal aid clinics, and outreach programmes
ReplyDeleteDatuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is open to hear hopes, concerns and ideas that members of the Christian community may have
ReplyDeleteMalaysia was very fortunate as it could continue to enjoy peaceful relations between different faiths and races and this could not happen without continued efforts to keep it that way
ReplyDelete