While the fast action by the Deputy Minister is commended, it should not have happened if the ministry are given clear guidelines and the society in general are aware of the freedom of minority religious groups to use, distribute, interprete and translate their own scriptures.
Dr. Hermen Shashtri, the General Secretary of CCM said in a press statement, "The Council of Churches is flabbergasted that such acts are happening in our country with such frequency and impunity. We want to state categorically that the Bible is Holy Scripture for Christians. No authority on earth should deny Christians the right to possess, read and travel with their Bibles."It is upon God's authority that we use and read scriptures, thus any human authority that tries to interfere with the divine call is doomed to fail. Besides, it is by God's authority that gives the King and politicians of the day to rule the government, and it is to God that we are ultimately answerable to.
As Chinese New Year is celebrated joyously, it is important that we heed the call of our Prime Minister also the Minister of Internal Security, to safeguard our multiracial and multireligious identity, based on justice and tolerance.
He said that the nation “belongs to all of us together as the citizens of Malaysia.” and urged the people "to cultivate and adopt the values of consultation, tolerance, unity and mutual appreciation as these are the keys to the country's continuous peace and harmony.”
Maybe its time for the whole country to heed his call.
Farish Noor recently commented on this in his article "Fear of Holy Books"- "this has become the norm, where religious communities the world over have grown more introverted, inward-looking and consequently selfish in their motives and concerns."
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