The PM and his federal government needs to be reminded that the issue started with the then Home Minister in banning the reference to Allah arising from the Minister’s discretionary powers under the Printing Presses and Publications Act, 1984. It was an unequivocal act of the ruling Umno/BN government.
From there, the downward spiral of race relations quickened with Umno’s political strategy to play the “race and religion” card to regain its Malay heartlands. It shook the very foundation of the official “Malaysia – Truly Asia” and the PM’s own “1-Malaysia” rhetoric and hollow slogan.
It is pretty obvious that the PM and his Umno-led federal government never meant to honour the “1-Malaysia” theme which is now discarded in favour of “Endless Possibilities”. There is no other possibility other than a most probable break-up of Malaysia if the race and religion division is allowed to continue.
The Umno/BN federal government has forgotten that they are the government for all Malaysians and not only the Malays or only in the Peninsula. They have forgotten that it is not the Federation of Malaya that they are ruling but the Federation of Malaysia where the founding fathers of Sabah and Sarawak were promised religious freedom.
Religious freedom was so important that the natives in the interiors of Sabah erected a Stone Monument, known today as the Batu Sumpah in Keningau, to etch into perpetuity such freedom. If not for these promises, there is no Malaysia today.
The use of “Allah” in the Borneo States, or even in neighbouring countries, pre-date the formation of the Federation of Malaya and the Federation of Malaysia. There were no turmoil or any threat of racial disruption.
On the contrary, in Sabah and Sarawak, it was a tranquillity of racial and religious harmony without the rhetoric of “1-Malaysia”. There was no need for a Muslim-Malay NGO to declare that “Christians are our brothers and sisters” because in true life in Sabah and Sarawak, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, husbands and wives were Christians and Muslims and other religions.
The Umno/BN federal government have also forgotten that they are mere passers-by and trustees in their reign of government but think themselves so high and mighty to decide on banning and purportedly seeking exclusivity of the use when nowhere else in the world is any government claiming as such.
The rest of the BN component parties particularly those from Sabah and Sarawak are equally to be blamed for the quagmire and quicksand that they are now finding themselves to be in. Some are quietly contemplating leaving the BN fold but are fearful not for their parties but for themselves with the police, anti-corruption, special branch, income tax, waiting to take the next flight out to arrest them.
The situation now calls for true leadership of the PM and the Umno-led federal government and politics of inclusiveness and reconciliation for all Malaysians. The PM may be reluctant to act because of the pending Umno elections but he needs to remember that the country he is leading today is the Federation of Malaysia not the Islamic Federation of Malaysia.
Perhaps, the PM should consider the calls of the Muslim-based NGO that the Malaysian Christian community can choose to move to any country if they cannot bear to accept the sovereignty of Islam.
Lest it be forgotten, no Christian Malaysian is questioning or challenging that Islam is the official religion of the Federation. It is the treatment of the minority faiths and the actions and policies of the ruling government that is the root cause of marginalization and disenfranchisement. In Sabah, it is sad that the natives are being pitted against each other due to differences in religion when no such problems arise.
If the PM accepts the reasoning of the Muslim NGO, it is time to start dis-engagement talks and allow Sabah and Sarawak to depart Malaysia and the Peninsula can revert back to Persekutuan Tanah Melayu by itself. There is no point in retaining Sabah and Sarawak within the Federation of Malaysia when the ultra-Malays in Malaya keep trying to break it up and without any appropriate response or with the silent acquiescence from the federal government.
Gereja-gereja di Mesir dan Jordan sebagai contoh memang menggunakan kalimah Allah, jadi apa yang berlaku di Sabah bukan satu perkara yang ganjil. Apa yang ganjil adalah di Semenanjung apabila perkara ini agak eksklusif sedikit..
ReplyDeletetiada yang ganjil sini Sabah
DeleteIsu ini sengaja diheboh-hebohkan
DeleteKebuduhan urang2 malaya yang trip pandai memandai
Deleteisu yang sepatutnya tidak dibangkitkan secara terbuka..isu agama sangat sensitif
Deletebetapa agama Islam, Kristian dan Yahudi adalah agama yang datang daripada para nabi. Agama-agama ini ada hubungan antara satu sama lain. Jadi tidak pelik jika mereka guna kalimah Allah kerana ini memang agama yang datang dari para Nabi.
ReplyDeleteKenapa juga tidak boleh guna perkataan Allah. lama sudah diguna baru sekarang timbul isu.
DeleteSebab drg nda pernah blajar sajarah
Deletehanya ada 1 yang disembah, 1 Tuhan..kenapa perlu berbalah untuk rebut kalimah Allah ni.hairan
DeleteSetelah 50 tahun sama-sama membentuk Malaysia, cara hidup masyarakat di sabah dan sarawak yang bergaul mesra dan tidak meletakkan label dan membeza-bezakan antara satu sama lain atas nama agama patut dipelajari oleh rakyat di semenanjung.
ReplyDeletesaling menghormati adalah resepi terbaik
Deletesaling menghormati dan saling mengamalkan hidup perpaduan adalah kunci kepada keamanan
DeleteKita menghormati dan toleransi tapi ada yg tidak
Deletejika jeffrey tidak puas hati dengan keputusan mahkamah, bercakaplah di mahkamah bukan di media.. isu ini tidak boleh dipolitikkan secara terbuka..
ReplyDelete1. kenyataan ini bukan mengenai politik
Delete2. bercakap di mahkamah kendalian malaya sesuatu yang hanya sia2...
3. tiada kena-mengena dengan perasaan Jeffrey secara peribadi kerana beliau cuma mewakili perasaan ramai manusia yang terjejas oleh isu ini lagipun yang terlebih dahulu mensensasikan isu ini adalah merupakan media kawalan kerajaan..
4. kena ingat mahkamah sebelum ini telahpun membenarkan penggunaan perkataan 'Allah' digunakan oleh akhbar Kristian, namun setelah disensasikan oleh media arus perdana isu ini hampir menjadi masalah besar di Malaysia....fikir jangan tak fikir..
tu la. ikut la saluran yang betul. baru semua yang si Jeffrey cakap diambil perhatian
DeleteBukan pasal jepprey bah tapi pasal nama Allah ni bah. Bodo punya menteri
Deletejeffry is using this issue as a cheap publicty for his political milage.. as far as we concern sabahan were not affected by this ban.. this ban only applies to the herald weekly and of course we can continue to use it without fear. he is delusional. he wanted sabahan to support his campaign to take sabah out from malaysia. so dont trust him
ReplyDeletepublisiti murahan. semurah ikan masin.
DeleteBiasalah kalau pembangkang. apa mahu heran
DeleteBut the thing is why this issue keep on harping
DeleteThe Deputy Home Minister is talking complete and utter rubbish, putting up the most illogical of defences for the government," said Pua, the DAP national publicity secretary.
ReplyDeleteHe said the judgment by the Court of Appeal did not specify that the use of Allah was prohibited only in Herald but also banned the use of the word by all other religions.
“In fact, the chairing judge Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali clearly stated in his written judgment that ‘the most possible and probable threat to Islam, in the context of this country, is the propagation of the other religions to the followers of Islam’,” said Pua.
He said Apandi's argument enforces exclusivity of the word Allah to Muslims only, and reminded that East and West Malaysia fell under the same set of laws.
Pua said the judges went to the extent of making historical and theological interpretations of the bible claiming that God has always been known as "Yahweh" in the Bible, "Allah" in the Quran and "Vishnu" the God in Vedas.
This, according to Pua, showed the Court of Appeal has decided that bibles in all languages will not be allowed to use the word "Allah". Malaysian Insider
Isu Allah tidak sepatutnya dibangkitkan.
ReplyDeletemahkamah sudah memberi arahan, jadi kita harus ikut saja
DeleteHentikan gunakan isu ini untuk kepentingan politik
ReplyDeleteJeffrey saja mahu naikkan kemarahan dengan memainkan sentimen agama
ReplyDeleteSetelah mahkamah memberi kata putus jangan ada mana-mana ahli politik cuba mempolitik isu ini lagi
Deletejangan la terpedaya dengan hasutan si JK tu
ReplyDeletePanas sekejap saja ba nie
ReplyDeletelepas beberapa minggu semua pasti akan senyap
Delete@Broem : untuk informasi anda... ikan masin(ikan yang dimasinkan/dikeringkan) ada salah satu barangan yang agak mahal harganya di pasaran hari ini. (kueh-mueh melayu boleh dibeli dengan harga 4 ketul seringgit).
ReplyDeleteSee religious issue again
ReplyDeleteJangan mainkan lagi isu ini
ReplyDeleteToleransi beragama adalah aspek penting dalam menjaga kerukunan dan keharmonian masyarakat Malaysia. Aspek ini perlu disemai dan dipupuk sejak kecil dan peranan ini mesti dilakukan oleh keluarga dan diperkukuh di peringkat pendidikan formal.
ReplyDeleteSemua kaum di negara ini dengan pelbagai anutan agama mesti mengelak diri daripada menyentuh sensitiviti penganut agama lain serta menjauhi sikap ekstremis. Sikap fanatik terhadap kaum dan agama secara membabi-buta sehingga tidak mempedulikan kepentingan orang lain juga mesti dijauhi.
ReplyDeleteKepelbagaian kaum dan agama di negara ini sewajarnya dapat memperkukuh aspek kenegaraan terutama dalam membina perpaduan nasional dan solidariti sosial.
ReplyDeleteJusteru, semangat taksub yang keterlaluan dalam memperjuangkan kepentingan sesuatu kaum serta memperlekeh dan menghina penganut agama lain sewajarnya dihindari bagi mengelak konflik kaum dan agama yang boleh meruntuhkan kesepaduan sosial masyarakat Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteKita sewajarnya mengambil iktibar daripada pelbagai konflik agama yang menyebabkan pertumpahan darah seperti di Myanmar dan Sri Lanka yang membabitkan penganut agama Buddha dan Islam.
ReplyDeleteBeratus tahun dahulu berlaku Perang Salib di antara Kristian dan Islam yang menyebabkan banyak nyawa terkorban. Semuanya itu berlaku disebabkan kepercayaan dan permusuhan beragama yang melampau.
ReplyDeleteRakyat Malaysia sewajarnya bersyukur kerana selama ini kepelbagaian agama menjadi kekuatan kepada perhubungan kaum di negara ini. Selama ini semua pihak dapat bertoleransi dan berganding bahu tanpa menyentuh sensitiviti agama dan perkauman.
ReplyDeletekonflik kaum dan agama yang sengaja dicetuskan dan diperbesarkan akan memporak-perandakan dan menghancurkan negara.
ReplyDelete