Sabah leaders should learn the meaning of wisdom and sincerity from Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem, especially when handling matters close to the people’s hearts.
Describing Adenan’s leadership as “unique”, Sabah Parti Keadilan Rakyat deputy chief Christina Liew said he is a leader who speaks his mind.
Referring to Adenan’s recent assurance to its large Christian population that the Sarawak government will not follow the states in the peninsula to curb them from using the word “Allah” to refer to God, Liew said the Sabah leaders should emulate his bold move.
Adenan, who marked his one month in office recently, said there is no law in Sarawak that restricts their use of the word “Allah” in their prayers and in their literature.
“He (Adenan) understands the true meaning of racial harmony and respects others who come from different religions and backgrounds.
“I agree with him and since Sabah and Sarawak share similar background, I hope the leaders in the state will have the courage to make a stand in this issue without fear or favour,” she said.
Liew, who is also the Api-Api assemblywoman, said Sabah needs such quality leaders who will fight for the rights of its multiracial people.
Adenan when speaking to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church parishioners at a meeting in Mukah, recently gave the assurance that the state would not legislate any laws that would curb their use of the word “as long as I am the Chief Minister”.
Selangor Islamic Religious Department authorities raided the Bible Society of Malaysia premises in January and seized hundreds of Malay language Bibles containing the word Allah.
At least two-thirds of Christians in Malaysia are Bumiputeras and are largely based in Sabah and Sarawak, where they routinely use Bahasa Malaysia and indigenous languages in their religious practices, including describing God as “Allah” in their prayers and holy book.
“Allah” or “Tuhan” are the same as they all refer to God, said Adenan, who took up Bible study when he was a student at the Catholic mission-run St Joseph’s school in Kuching.
He said God created the people differently, but at the same time, everyone is the same because of their belief in the “colourful garden”.
“It would be very dull if all the colours were white,” Adenan was quoted as saying by the Borneo Post.
the Rakyat Post
Perhaps it would be more appropriate for Christina Liew to advice her Pakatan Rakyat leaders to emulate the Sarawak CM.Has she ignorantly forgotten that it is her very own PR coalition leaders that has prohibited Non-Muslims from using the word Allah,and is also planning to implement the Hudud Law? - Ronnie Charles Klassen
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