Latest Christian-bashing seminar "part of Islamisation agenda"

Sabah opposition lawmaker Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan said the latest seminar organised by Universiti Teknoloji Mara (UiTM), was "part of an Islamisation master plan" with the ultimate aim to change the religious beliefs of the people in the two Borneo states.

The Bingkor assemblyman said the continued sanctions of such seminars by the authorities, the mushrooming of "dakwah" (propagation) centres in Sabah and deployment of Muslim teachers in predominantly Christian rural schools "all point to that objective".

"This is part of the Islamisation plan to promote Islam by labeling other religions as threats.

"Their goal is to eventually change the religious demography in Sabah and Sarawak where majority are Christians," Kitingan said.

Kitingan, who is also the Sabah State Reform Party (Star) chairman, said this "politically motivated Islamisation plan" could lead to religious extremism "that will eventually destroy our country".

The seminar "Ancaman gerakan pemurtadan Kristianisasi" (Threat of the Christian proselytisation movement) was held at UiTM's Lendu campus in Malacca on Saturday, which included a speaker from the police force.

Last year, UiTM was criticised for holding a seminar at its Shah Alam campus last year, where participants were told that undercover Christian preachers were sent to Malaysia to convert Muslims.

The latest incident prompted a lawyer to urge Putrajaya to reopen investigations against UiTM for the seminar in Shah Alam, which vilified the Christian.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing said the Ministry of Higher Learning should not have allowed the university to hold the seminar on its campus, which also has non-Muslim Bumiputera students, as "it was totally wrong".

"It's unbecoming of a state which professes to be tolerant of the various religions in the country."

Masing said any kind of religious bashing should not be allowed in any government-owned institutions of higher learning.

"To me, belittling any religion is wrong. "You do not convert people to your religion by bashing their religion.

Likewise Muslims would not be showing the goodness of Islam by bashing other religions.

"You should instead point out what is good about your religion and if people think it's good, they might get attracted.

"In this country where there is freedom of religion, you do not and you should not bash and say bad things about other people's religion.

Sarawak opposition lawmaker Ali Biju said it was very disturbing that the seminar was held in a public institution. He said on top of it all, taxpayers’ money seemed to have been used.