The Sabah Council of Churches (SCC) has on Monday demanded Putrajaya to issue a reprimand to PN MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi Bin Haji Salleh, over his insensitive statement on the Holy Bible, and to initiate an investigation into the seditious statement.
Nik Muhammad had on August 26 in parliament said, “Kitab Injil ini dipesongkan atau diubah”, alleging that the Holy Bible is distorted or changed.
“Such an offensive statement made on the heels of 63rd Merdeka Day is totally unacceptable,” said SCC President, Bishop Dr James Wong in a statement on Monday, August 31st.
He added that Nik Muhammad’s further remarks that Christians have no right to be offended on August 29 was akin to adding insult to injury.
“Parliament is a place where debates must be based on relevant facts and not religious statements.”
“To suggest that any fellow citizen who holds different religious belief to first earn the right to be offended has completely disregarded the feelings and sentiments of other races and religious communities in this nation.”
He said Nik must apologize to all Christian communities in Malaysia and retract his statements made in and outside of the Parliament.
Apart from the Sabah Council of Churches, the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) had also on Saturday demanded the PN MP to retract his remarks and apologise to all Christians.
He demanded that Zawawi retract his statement and apologise over the matter, adding that it went against the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal had on Sunday issued a stern warning to keep instigators and divisive figures out of Sabah.
He said, “if people do not learn from the deep-rooted racism and extremism happening in America and Middle East, then racial unity and prosperity can never be achieved.”
“If we resort to issues that can divide us along racial and religious lines, then inter-racial unity cannot be achieved.”
Shafie, a Muslim himself, leads the also the multiracial and multireligious Parti Warisan Sabah.
Meanwhile, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia Chairman, Tan Sri Muhyiddin who was on a working visit to Sabah recently remained mum over the issue.
Instead, he expressed disappointment that the current Sabah administration is not aligned to the Federal Government.
[…] The comment received brickbats from the Christian community in Sabah and Sarawak. […]