Prof Aziz says the Federal Constitution does not give the government much power in matters of religion.
PETALING JAYA: The government is exceeding its authority in insisting that copies of the Malay bible carry serial numbers, according to constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari.
He interpreted the action as meaning that the government was trying to control the number of copies in circulation. This would go against the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom, he said.
Aziz, who teaches law at a local university, noted that the Federal Constitution restricts the government’s authority in matters of religion, including Islam.
“For example, only the Islamic religious authority can tell you how to pray,” he said.
Asked whether the law prohibiting non-Muslim publications from using “Allah” as God’s name had any bearing on the issue, he said an enactment could not supersede the constitution.
“Under Federal Constitution Clause 11, subjected to Clause 4, you have religious freedom,” he said.
“Clause 4 says that you cannot propagate your religion among Muslims. Confusion did not arise in the case of bibles being stamped with the words ‘Christian publication’”, he added.
Referring to the bibles impounded at Port Klang and Kuching ports, he said: “There is no proof that these bibles are being distributed among Muslims to teach them Christianity.”
He said the government was interfering with the practice of religion with the conditions it had imposed for the release of the impounded bibles.
The government provoked anger from Christians when it was found that the 5,100 impounded bibles had been stamped with serial numbers and the words “For the use of Christians only” without consent from the importers.
The Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) claims that under an agreement made with the Home Ministry in 2005, it is required only to emboss each copy with a cross and the words “Christian Publication”.
However, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein defended the serial numbering move yesterday by saying that it was standard practice.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) has slammed the “arbitrary” defacement of the al-Kitab, the Bahasa Malaysia version of the bible, alleging that Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s actions and words ‘smacked of disrespect and arrogance’ to people of all faith.
ReplyDeleteCalling for Hishammuddin’s resignation, MCLM president Haris Ibrahim said the “whole episode shows that the Malaysian government is repressive and discriminatory in its actions.”
“His (Hishammuddin) action and remarks smack of disrespect and arrogance not just towards the 10% of the population who are Christians but also to those of other religions.
“The whole episode shows that the Malaysian government is repressive and discriminatory in its actions. Any person who respects the Holy Scriptures of any religion would be appalled by this,” Haris said.
Haris was responding to reports that the Home Ministry, which allowed the conditional release of the impounded 35,000 Malay-language bibles on Tuesday, had stamped the holy books with its official seal.
The ministry had also stated that each copy of the bible must be stamped with the words “For Christians Only” and carry a serial number.
“MCLM also fears that the main reason for the directive for each of the bibles to carry the Home Ministry’s seal and a serial number is to have an election issue that will gain the ruling coalition popularity among the Malays/Muslims in the impending Sarawak state polls or the general election, ” said Haris.
He said that if this be the case then Hishammuddin must also apologise to all Malaysians for using “a religious matter for political gain.”
Haris further underlined the fact that the freedom to practice one’s faith – which includes the right to read about this faith in the language of one’s choice – is enshrined in the Federal Constitution
Sabah and Sarawakian have no problems with the circulation of Malay bibles, the Federal need not meddle in this issue.
ReplyDeleteapa pun isu yang timbul ia perlu diselesaikan dengan sebaiknya dan kita perlu saling menghormati.
ReplyDeleteThis shouldn't be an issue in the first place. There are other major issues happening. Better to focus on that!
ReplyDeleteisu ini tak seharusnya timbul.
ReplyDeleteWhile there was no objection to Islam being the national religion of Malaysia there should be no State religion in North Borneo, and the provisions relating to Islam in the present Constitution of Malaya should not apply to North Borneo.
ReplyDeleteby restricting the Malay Bible showed that Bahasa Malaysia does not qualify to be used as an national language for this country, and certainly not qualify to expand its use internationally. national language should be a language that can be used by all races and religions.
ReplyDeleteA controversy over nothing.
ReplyDeleteblack, yes ur right, bahasa malaysia should not qualify as a national language, The malays claim they own this language so let them keep it for themselves lah...idiots.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't want the rest of us to use Bahasa Malaysia. Then we use English as our national language.
ReplyDelete