DAP Selangor applauds the sincere and principled effort by the new Selangor Menteri Besar, Azmin Ali culminating in the return of the confiscated Al-Kitabs The seizure of the Al-Kitabs at the premises of Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM ) on the 2nd January this year was a irrefutable black market on the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat administration. Despite the fact that the Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS) did not come under direct purview of the Selangor State Government, it happened under our watch. Hence it became our responsibility to ensure justice and the sacred principles of our Malaysian constitution are upheld and protected. The people of Selangor who have voted for Pakatan Rakyat were stunned by the action and expected the Selangor State government to immediately rectify the situation. After all, it was a declared position of the coalition that the term Allah is not exclusive to Muslims, can be used by the other religions but cannot be abused. Unfortunately for more than 8 months, the Pakatan Rakyat administration failed to honour the trust bestowed upon us. Despite several discussions with the then Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and repeated pledges for a quick resolution to the matter by the latter, hopes for the amicable return of the Al-Kitabs quickly dissipated. It was hence a breath of fresh air when the new Menteri Besar, Azmin Ali was appointed at the end of September, in consultation with our elected representatives, agreed that the swift return of the seized holy books was crucial towards regaining the confidence of Malaysians throughout the country, and not just in Selangor. When the new Menteri Besar declared unequivocally at DAP Petaling Jaya fund-raising dinner on the 3rd November, that the Alkitab does not belong to the Muslims. They belong to the Christians, whom we must respect,” he received roars of approval from the 1000-strong audience. “Islam has never asked its followers to disrupt the harmony of other faiths... and I am confident that if they understand the true Islam, then the Bibles must be returned to the Christians, he had added. While the categorical commitment by Azmin Ali was certainly welcome and popular, I would be lying if the DAP leaders at the main table did not quietly fear that the new Menteri Besar may have perhaps promised too much too soon. Our fear was understandable given the failure of the previous Menteri Besar as well as knowing the strength of the entrenched resistance of the opposing forces. The protracted Bible and Menteri Besar crisis have resulted in all parties digging their heels into their respective rhetorical positions and any perceived backtracking will be seen as a loss of face on such a sensitive issue. We should not have doubted. Azmin Ali was true to his word. His persistence, sincerity and principled pursuit to uphold Pakatan’s political position on the issue and to defend the spirit of the Constitution soon paid off with the return of the Al-Kitabs to the Christian community yesterday. What the previous administration could not do for 9 months, Azmin Ali did in less than 60 days. At the same time, the DAP would like to express our gratitude to His Royal Highness, the Selangor Sultan for having the wisdom in ensuring that the spirit of moderation is prioritised in multi-religious and multi-racial Selangor. His graciousness has resulted in a win-win situation for all communities in the country. We firmly believe that with the same dedication replicated to the Pakatan Rakyat cause, the Selangor administration under Azmin Alis leadership will go a long way towards resolving the various problems of the rakyat - from potholes to highways, from rubbish collection to clean governance - by building a truly competent, accountable and transparent government. Tony Pua
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 03:11:39 +0000
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