Today is Christmas. However, I am not so happy when I think about the recent repeated issues in Malaysia, namely, the Arabic-originated theological terms which are properly to share with Muslims and Christians. The below reproductions are some of them. (Lily)
1.Islam ala Malaysia: "We Cannot Let Other Religions to use Allah. Only Muslims can use Allah"
by Malaysian Unplug @ （http://malaysianunplug.blogspot.com）22 December 2007
Quote: "..ONLY Muslims can use ‘Allah’. It’s a Muslim word, you see. It’s from (the Arabic (language). WE CANNOT let OTHER religions use it because it will confuse people. We CANNOT allow this use of ‘Allah’ in non-Muslim publications, nobody except Muslims. The word ‘Allah’ is published by the Catholics. It’s NOT right." The word ‘Allah’ can only be used in the context of Islam and NOT any OTHER religion." -Malaysian Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum.
Now, from where did Malaysia's Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum get this religious stupidity from? So now, in Malaysia, it would seem the usage of "Allah" by non-Muslims is a security offence, punishable with or without triggering the ISA.
Yes, this UMNO-led Government CAN prevent Malaysian NON-Muslims, through its political power and the brute force of the draconian ISA laws, from using the word "Allah", but certainly NOT to non-Muslims in general. It is a mark of the lowest form of intellect for a Malaysian political leader to pontificate that the word "Allah" is a monopoly of Muslims. The perception of the monopoly of Muslims on the Arabic word for "God" might be so in the parochial minds of Malaysian Muslims like the Deputy Internal Security Minister. And, one might even accept such idiocy would come from extreme right wing tunnel-visioned religious fundamentalist groups of Christians and Muslims alike.
Deputy Minister Johari Baharum can start by legalising the use of the word "Allah" and having the law carved in stone in the Federal Constitution, using UMNO's two-third majority, to entrench the illegality of Malaysian non-Muslims using the word "Allah" in their religious books or in their prayers. Do just that!
The Deputy Internal Security Minister, if he thinks that the use of "Allah" will affect Malaysia's national security, or Malaysia's own version of Islamic laws, should have demanded, ".. ONLY MALAYSIAN NON-MUSLIMS CANNOT USE THE WORD 'ALLAH'. .."
Sometimes it is best for a Cabinet Minister to keep his narrow intellect in silence in some dark corners instead of having his intellectual garbage out in bright sunlight. Since he has opened the pandora box on how non-Muslims should relate to Islam, we intend to keep the Pandora box open for people like the Deputy Internal Security Minister to help expand his intellectual capacity on matters of religion, ie Islam and Christianity, in particular.
Let's put this fact up front: Arabic is NOT the lingua franca or mother-tongue of Malays or the Malay Muslims in this country. It is definitely NOT the mother-tongue of Johari Baharum. He must have learned Arabic presumably when he had to recite by rote the Al-Quran and possibly took some lessons in Arabic from some questionable Ustaz or as part of his school or post-secondary education on Islamic studies.
"ONLY Muslims can use ‘Allah’"
Say that to the 14 million (5-6 %) Arabic-speaking Christians in the Arab world. To them, the only word they know which we call "God" and Malays call "Tuhan" is "Allah". Most of the Arab Christians who live in the Middle East are located in the following countries: Lebanon (35-45 % of the population);Palestine (5-10 %);Jordan (6-12 %); Syria (10 %);Sudan (10 %) ;Egypt (6-12 %) ; and Iraq (3 %). Arabs are not all Muslims and Muslims are not all Arabs.
Some Christians who live in the Arab world refuse to be considered as "Arabs". They take pride in their heritage and trace their roots to their ancestors who inhabited the land before the appearance of Islam. For example, Lebanese Christians take pride in their ancient Phoenician roots. Egyptian Coptics trace their roots to the ancient Egyptians under the Pharaohs dynasties. So the Chaldeans and the Assyrians of Iraq who consider themselves to be the original inhabitants and dwellers of present day Iraq. Read here for more excerpts from BUILDING BRIDGES by Fouad Accad (Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress), p. 22).
"...And what about the 10 to 12 million Arab Christians today? They have been calling God ‘Allah’ in their Bibles, hymns, poems, writings, and worship for over nineteen centuries. What an insult to them when we tell them not to use this word ‘Allah’!
Instead of bridging the distance between Muslims and Christians, we widen the gulf of separation between them and us when we promote such a doctrine. Those who still insist that it is blasphemy to refer to God as Allah should also consider that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)’s father was named Abd Allah, ‘God’s servant,’ many years BEFORE his son was born or Islam was founded!
Some Christians unthinkingly say 'Allah is not God.' This is the ultimate blasphemy to Muslims, and furthermore, it is difficult to understand. Allah is the primary Arabic word for God. It means 'The God.'
There are some minor exceptions. For example, the Bible in some Muslim lands uses a word for God other than Allah (Farsi and Urdu are examples). But for more than five hundred years before Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), the vast majority of Jews and Christians in Arabia called God by the name Allah. How, then, can we say that Allah is an invalid name for God? If it is, to whom have these Jews and Christians been praying? ”
The word "Allah" in the Al-Quran and in the Christian Bible:
(A) From the Al-Quran
Qu'ran 1:1 - English translation]
"In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful."
[Qur'ân 1:1 - Arabic transliteration]
"Bismi-Allahi ar-Rahmani, ar-Raheem"
[Qur'ân 1:1 - Arabic]
(B) From the Arab (Christian) Bible:
[Genesis 1:1 - English Bible - King James Version]
"In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth . . . "
[Genesis 1:1 - Arabic transliteration]
"Fee al-badi' khalaqa Allahu as-Samaawaat wa al-Ard . . . "
[Genesis 1:1 - Arabic Bible]
John 3:16 - English Bible - [King James Version]
"For God so loved the world, that . . . "
[John 3:16 - Arabic transliteration]
"Li-annhu haakadha ahabba
Allahu al-'Aalama hataa badhala . . . "
[John 3:16 - Arabic Bible]
Luke 1:30 - English Bible - [King James Version]
" . . . Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God."
[Luke 1:30 - Arabic transliteration]
" . . . Laa takhaafee, yaa Maryam, li-annaki qad wajadti ni'amat(an) i'nda Allahi."
[Luke 1:30 - Arabic Bible]
[Luke 3:38 - English Bible - [New King James Version]
"the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God."
[Luke 3:38 - Arabic transliteration]
"bini Anoosha, bini Sheeti, bini Aaadama, abni Allahi."
[Luke 3:38 - Arabic Bible]
2.“Dhimmi Watch”(http://www.jihadwatch.org/) 22 December 2007
Malaysian Catholic weekly told to drop use of 'Allah' in order to renew publishing permit Arabic-speaking Christians generally use the word "Allah" for God -- with the notable exception of the Copts. But they are not referring, of course, to the God of the Qur'an, but to the God of the Bible. And one notable dhimmi bishop in the West has called for Christians to use the word "Allah" for God in order to show good will toward Muslims.
If both groups were in Malaysia, however, it would be a different story. Muslim spokesmen in the West endlessly tell us that Muslims, Jews, and Christians all worship the same God -- in accord with Qur'an 29:46. And when I and others point out that the Muslim view of God is quite different from the view of God of Jews and Christians, and that it is therefore hard to sustain a case that all worship the same God, we're vilified and dismissed. But this decision in Malaysia indicates that it is not we who have originated such ideas; they're held by many Muslims as well.
From The Associated Press (thanks to all who sent this in): KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: A Catholic weekly newspaper in Malaysia has been told to drop the use of the word "Allah" in its Malay language section if it wants to renew its publishing permit, a senior government official said Friday.
The Herald, the organ of Malaysia's Catholic Church, has translated the word God as "Allah" but it is erroneous because Allah refers to the Muslim God, said Che Din Yusoff, a senior official at the Internal Security Ministry's publications control unit.
"Christians cannot use the word Allah. It is only applicable to Muslims. Allah is only for the Muslim god. This is a design to confuse the Muslim people," Che Din told The Associated Press.The weekly should instead, use the word "Tuhan" which is the general term for God, he said.
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3.“Asia Sentinel”(http://asiasentinel.com/) 24 December 2007
Malaysia Takes God’s Name in Vain
On the eve of the Christmas holidays, Malaysia’s authorities mistakenly decide Allah’s name isn’t God’s.
The Malaysian authorities’ refusal to renew the publication of the weekly Catholic newspaper The Herald unless it stops using the word Allah as the word for God in the Malay language is a demonstration of racism and linguistic ignorance, not religious purity.
According to Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum, “Only Muslims can use ‘Allah’. It’s a Muslim word, you see. It’s from (the Arabic language). We cannot let other religions use it because it will confuse people,” he was reported as saying. “We cannot allow this use of ‘Allah’ in non-Muslim publications, nobody except Muslims. The word ‘Allah’ is published by the Catholics. It’s not right.”
But what Johari revealed was his ignorance of his own professed religion, of the Arabic language in which the Koran is written, and of the history and culture of Muslims throughout most of the world. God and Allah mean the same in different languages.
Muslims, like Christians do not worship a person called Allah. They worship a single supreme being which the Arabic language denotes as Allah. The very word Allah derives from the singular nature of the monotheistic deity. In the Arab world Allah has always been used by Christians (a significant minority) and Jews (a smaller but important minority until the creation of Israel) to denote the one God which the religions share. Ditto in Farsi.
In Indonesia 100 million Muslims have no problem with their Christian brothers using Allah to denote the supreme being in Bahasa Indonesia, the Indonesian version of the Malay language. So why should a United Malays National Organisation politician unless for some reason to ramp up Malay prejudice against non-Muslims and reinforce the notion that all Malays are and always will be Muslims?
Likewise among the (Roman) Catholics, the word in Latin (lingua franca of the Roman church) for God is Deus and is used without discrimination between Christians Muslims and Jews.
The Johari version of the world displays the same kind of ignorance as found among Christian fundamentalists in the United States and elsewhere who insist on saying that Muslims worship Allah rather than the God (an English word) that the two religions share. An English Koran uses the words “In the name of God the compassionate and merciful,” not “In the name of Allah the compassionate and merciful.”
If Malaysian Malays are confused about the distinction between Islam and Christianity because they use the same word to describe the one God, clearly there is a lot wrong with the educational system. But if a minister is so ignorant, how can the rakyat – Malaysia’s citizenry - be expected to know better?
For Muslims, Jesus was a prophet of Islam. For Johari on the eve of the birthday of Jesus to make this astonishing decision is an insult to his own religion as well as to the Christian one from which Islam sprang.
4. Malaysiakini.com 24 December 2007
‘Allah' controversy shows need for non-Muslim dept by Wong Yee Kiat
Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum has denied the right of religions, apart from Islam, to use the word ‘Allah’ when referring to God. According to Malaysiakini's report, the Catholic weekly newspaper Herald is facing problems renewing their annual publishing permit because the organ of the Catholic Church in Malaysia had used the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God in its Malay language section.
Johari said that this word is Arabic therefore it is a Muslim word. In other words, any Arabic theological word automatically becomes a patent of Islam.
According to Wikipedia, “Allah is the standard Arabic word for ‘God’. While the term is best known in the West for its use by Muslims as a reference to God, it is used by Arabic-speakers of all Abrahamic faiths, including Christians and Jews in reference to ‘God’."
Besides, it also says that as Arab Christians today have no other word for God other than Allah, they use terms like ‘Allah al-ab’ meaning God the father, ‘Allah al-ibn’ meaning God the son and ‘Allah al-ruh al ghodus’ meaning God the Holy Spirit."
Language is a tool for communication. Since ‘Allah’ is a general word that is not the registered intellectual property of Islam, why can’t Christians use the word? The Federal Constitution protects freedom to practice other religions in peace and harmony. Arabic speakers from the three monotheistic religions Islam, Christianity and Judaism, use the same language to annotate their own religious creed. This proves the rights of Christians to use the word ‘Allah’ when referring to God.
Nobody can deny that Islam, Christianity and Judaism originated from the Arab region. Likewise, if any Malaysian Jew wants to use the word ‘Allah’ to refer to the Jewish god, it is his right to do so as protected by the constitution. All citizens are requested to recognise the status of Islam as the official religion of Malaysia. Malaysians must respect other religions too and the government has to show consideration for the feelings of all citizens. It is unreasonable to attack Christians because they have the right to use the word ‘Allah’ since Christianity originated in the Arab region.
The Indian NGOs have requested that the government set up a non-Muslim affairs department. The prime minister has said that this is not necessary. It is a splendid suggestion to handle non-Muslims' affairs without ignoring the rights of Islam as the official religion. While the Islamic affairs department has been set up a long time ago, the prime minister should realise that it is necessary to have a government department to represent non-Muslims. This will prove that the constitution is not merely words.
If established, there are many debatable cases that the non-Muslim affairs department can address. These include Lina Joy’s request to change her religion on her identity card, the demolition of Hindu temples and even such debates on religious terms. The prime minister’s reason to reject this request is that Islam is official religion of the country.
Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang found it comical that the prime minister has ‘secretly’ appointed Ong Ka Ting as Buddhist affairs minister, Samy Vellu as Hindu affairs minister and Bernard Dompok as Christian affairs minister. But these unofficial appointments cannot restore people’s confidence in the government's sincerity.
Ours is not a request to set up individual departments for each and every non-official religion. It is a request to establish an affairs department to represent the 40 percent of Malaysians who are believers in Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Animism, Shamanism, Sikhism, Bahá'í, Taoism, Confucianism and others.
If it is not necessary, I wonder what is the reasoning behind the prime minister’s request to the private sector to employ more bumiputera staff to show the "multi-racial condition" of our country. This request is the result of a meeting between the prime minister and Indian NGOs after the Hindraf rally. If the prime minister only makes empty talk about his concern towards the people and their requests, the credibility of this ‘big ear’ leader will be ruined.
5. Malaysiakini.com 24 December 2007
A message to our Christian leaders by Truth-Seeker
It is with great sadness I learn that Christian leaders are continuing their “business as usual” attitude despite the terrible injustices happening in our country. The Christian Federation of Malaysia will be holding its Christmas high-tea reception at the Rumah Uskup Agung in Kuala Lumpur on Christmas day. It will be hosted by the Roman Catholic Church’s archbishop of Kuala Lumpur and his guests of honour are Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his wife.
The presence of other cabinet ministers and foreign dignitaries will make it a good opportunity for Christian leaders to speak out against the unfair treatment of the good citizens of Malaysia whose only crime was to seek the truth to be revealed. They should speak out against mainstream newspapers that only report one-sided stories.
The mainstream media never gave the Hindraf lawyers arrested under the Internal Security Act or any opposition leaders the opportunity to tell their side of the story. Why is it that we Malaysians never ever hear Bersih, Hindraf or opposition leaders speak, not even during election campaigns? What little opportunities these people have to speak are disturbed by raids because police permits were not granted for the occasion. Yet there is no shortage of permits available for BN leaders’ gatherings.
Christian leaders should question why newspapers downplay or neglect to report important news such as the recent amendment to the Federal Constitution to extend the term of Election Commission chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman. Amending the Federal Constitution is a very serious matter. Here, it is being amended for one man and extends beyond a single general election. That in itself begs the question of the next general election’s fairness.
Knowingly or unknowingly, Christian leaders are proliferating this belief that they should speak up against injustices only when it concerns their faith and religion. As a Christian, I know this is not the message preached by Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus accused such people as hypocrites and “white-washed tombs” that are beautiful on the outside but filled with dead bones inside.
This Christmas, as we remember the birth of our saviour, I hope all Christians will speak up and pray for those unfairly imprisoned for standing up for the truth and for this nation to return to the path of righteousness. Let the church bells toll on Christmas day in honour of the sacrifices of all Malaysians who are being persecuted for standing up for truth and justice.
6. Malaysiakini.com 24 December 2007
Sabah church sues PM over book ban by Soon Li Tsin
A Sabah church has sued the government and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his capacity as internal security minister for not allowing the import of Christian literature from Indonesia containing the word ‘Allah’.
Sabah Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) Church president Pastor Jerry Dusing filed the suit on behalf of the church at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Dec 10 after six titles for their Sunday school education for children were banned from being imported.
The church is also asking the court to compel the minister to return the consignment of materials that were ‘unlawfully detained’ by customs officers at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal on Aug 15.
According to letters from the ministry, the books were banned because the Bahasa Indonesia publications contained various words that are exclusive only to Islam. The words in contention are ‘Allah’ (God), ‘Baitullah’ (House of God), ‘Solat’ (prayer) and ‘Kaabah’ (The Sacred House). The letters state that the ministry is allowed to stop any propagation of religious doctrine or belief to Muslims in accordance with Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution allowing certain words to be restricted and prohibited from use.
The ministry explained that the prohibition was due to the uneasiness felt in the community during the late 1970s and early 1980s, the issue has become sensitive and been classified as a security issue. It also stated further that the publications can raise confusion and controversy in the Malaysian society. Dursing’s affidavit rebuts several of these points including the use of Alkitab - the Bahasa Indonesia translation of the Holy Bible - where the word ‘Allah’ appears.
“The Christian usage of ‘Allah’ predates Islam. ‘Allah’ is the name of God in the old and the modern Arabic Bible.
“The Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia translations of the Holy Bible have been used by Christian native peoples in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak for generations,” it stated.
He also noted that the publications was for educational purposes within the church and was not for sale or distribution outside the church.
“The publications will not be made available to members of the public and in particular to a person professing the religion of Islam.
“The publications contain nothing which is likely to cause public alarm or which touches on the sensitivities of Islam,” the affidavit read.
A range of constitutional provision were also raised by the applicants. The hearing for the application for leave in the Kuala Lumpur High Court is scheduled to take place on Dec 27. The controversy over the use of ‘Allah’ in non-Islam publications recently surfaced when Herald - the largest Catholic newspaper - was facing problems when renewing its annual publishing permit because of the word ‘Allah’ was used in referring to ‘God’ in its Bahasa Malaysia section.
The ministry has told the publisher to remove the entire Bahasa Malaysia section or the permit will not be renewed when it expires next week.
Asked for an explanation on the matter, Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum said the word ‘Allah’ can only be used in the context of Islam and not any other religion.
The Herald, which is published in four languages - English, Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil - has a circulation of 12,000.
7. Malaysiakini.com 24 December 2007
PM, state your stand on Herald's 'Allah'
There is growing clamour for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to quickly douse the controversy over the use of ‘Allah’ by a Catholic weekly in its Bahasa Malaysia section as Christians prepare to celebrate Christmas tomorrow.
The Herald, a weekly bulletin of the Catholic Church has been warned it could lose its publication permit, which will effectively shut down the weekly, for using the word ‘Allah’ in referring to ‘God’ in its Bahasa Malaysia section.
The powerful Internal Security Ministry - in which Abdullah is the minister in charge - has also allegedly told the publisher to remove the entire Bahasa Malaysia section or the permit will not be renewed when it expires next week.
The Herald, which is published in four languages - English, Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil - has a circulation of 12,000.
Social movement Aliran said it was flabbergasted that “the usage of a single, widely used term to refer to the Almighty could be used to deny a basic right – the freedom to publish”.
“The term ‘Allah’ has been used for centuries without any problem or confusion. It has been the common term used by Muslims and Christians alike in the Arab world to refer to God.”
Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum has earlier explained that the new condition imposed on Catholic bulletin was to prevent confusion. “Only Muslims can use ‘Allah’,” he told Malaysiakini. "We cannot allow this use of ‘Allah’ in non-Muslim publications - nobody except Muslims. The word ‘Allah’ is published by the Catholics. It’s not right.”
However, Aliran said that Johari’s “sudden claim to exclusivity” for the usage of the word “does not make sense”.
“Our own Bahasa Malaysia is littered with numerous words absorbed from many foreign languages. We have even stopped using existing words in preference to newly coined terms to reflect modernity and the scientific world. If foreign countries were to claim exclusivity for all these terms, what would become of Bahasa Malaysia?
“Aliran also understands that the line, ‘Ya Allah Yang Maha Kuasa...’ forms part of the Pahang state anthem. Does that mean that non-Muslims should not sing the Pahang state anthem?” Other state anthems which contain the word 'Allah' include Johor, Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang urged Abdullah to overrule Johari and rescind his ministry’s order to Herald to discontinue its Bahasa Malaysia section “so that Christmas Day this year will not be celebrated under a cloud of burgeoning religious intolerance.”
“As the word ‘Allah’ has been used to refer to God among Christians for generations in many countries and is never meant to offend or confuse the Muslims, Abdullah should intervene to rescind such retrogressive measure by the Internal Security Ministry,” said Lim.
He said that the ministry's decision to abolish the Herald's Bahasa Malaysia section shows that the government itself does not give pride of place to the national language. The use of ‘Allah’ outside of Islam has stirred controversy in Malaysia previously. Four years ago, the Bible in the Iban language was banned because it translated the word ‘God’ as Allah Taala, which resembles Islam’s name for God.
The ban was, however, lifted after protests from the Christian community.
8. The New Straits Times Online 24 Decemeber 2007
The true meaning of Christmas by K.P. Waran
CHRISTMAS is a time of giving. A special occasion of presents under the Christmas tree, the aroma of roasting turkey wafting through the house, curious children (and adults) poking around surreptitiously to discover what presents they would be getting... And the gifts, they come in all shapes and sizes - from a Brabus for the affluent, a much-needed pair of spectacles for the visually-challenged or a Playstation with its variety of games for a computer-savvy kid. Some stock their homes with the latest electronic gadgets and computers while donning new jewellery and clothing for the occasion.
Undoubtedly, most of us who have heard about Christmas, and you would have, unless you're from another galaxy, have been instilled with the message that Christmas is a time of hope, peace and love; and the season is a time of sharing and giving, both to those we love and to others who are less fortunate.
I am fortunate to have many friends of all races who, during the year, and especially during the festive seasons, go out of their way to help the needy and, in the process, get their children and other family members involved, thereby unveiling a sense of compassion and an awareness about the value of helping others.
Many individuals also go through a time of quiet contemplation at the end of the year, just before the new year begins. This time of introspection, of increased spirituality, usually coincides with a desire to atone for the year's follies, and many of us find that contributing to the well-being of others helps assuage the guilt of too much money spent on unnecessary luxuries, parties and drinking binges and too much time spent at work.
It ties in well with the spirit of Christmas, this desire to give, and it doesn't matter whether you celebrate the birth of Christ in its true sense or not - when you give out of genuine compassion and love to the needy, God smiles. Which is probably what he does when he contemplates the work of Pastor Sim See Tian and his wife Chew Joo San, who have spent a lifetime in selfless giving to others.
I have tremendous respect and admiration for this couple, who gave up successful careers to minister to the needs of their fellow human beings.
Malacca-born Sim received his tertiary education at Universiti Sains Malaysia, from which he graduated with a degree in pharmacy. After graduation, he joined the Health Ministry and was attached to the enforcement division of the pharmaceutical division.
For 15 years, he was involved in conducting raids and seizures and helping to prosecute those involved in illegal activities pertaining to pharmaceutical products.
"I realised that there was much more that I could do for people. My heart wanted it so much, I knew it was a calling," he says in an interview at his modest home in Rawang, where he and his wife have nurtured a luxuriant garden filled with orchids and other brilliant flowers.
Chew completed her Diploma in Education at Universiti Malaya; when she was posted to a school in Sungai Choh, the couple decided to move away from the bright lights of the city and make their home in the then small town of Rawang in 1979.
After teaching for eight years, Chew decided to quit and become a homemaker focusing on their three children - two boys and a girl - who have all now grown up. Jason, 27, is an engineer; Joel, 25, is an architect in Australia and Dorcas, 20, is studying music.
Sim and Chew met when they were doing their Upper Six in Malacca High School and love struck when they met for a drink after Sports Day; this later blossomed when the relationship progressed to a movie date after their final exams. Forged on the common ground of their Christian faith, it was natural that they should decide to spend the rest of their lives together, although there was no thought in their minds at that time that they should focus their life on serving God.
In an era where Christmas has been commercialised to such a crass extent that its original raison d'etre has been lost, it's refreshing to see the celebration from the Sims' point of view.
"We realise that Christmas means different things for people. For us, it is a time to reflect on God's gift and its implications for people, especially since Jesus Christ died for the sins of man on the cross," Sim explains.
He says Christmas is not just about giving gifts but also about working on being a better person - a better child, spouse and parent - thus bringing about a secure, stable and loving home.
"Sharing with others, inviting people to your home and spreading the message of love is very important."
For the couple, Christmas is spent at church services with members of the parish and providing for those in need.
Churchgoers of the Diakonia Church are happy to have Sim and his wife leading the congregation as they are sincere, helpful and ever ready to meet them in times of crisis.
Sim does not only minister to Diakonia members - his caring transcends religious barriers as he is willing to pray for people of all faiths, sometimes travelling far and wide to the homes and offices of people he has never met in response to appeals to do so.
A call for help to Sim is never turned down. Like the good samaritan in the parable, he takes seriously the command by Christ to treat all men as his neighbours and to love others as he loves himself.
I remember the time three years ago, of how Sim made an impression on my Hindu relatives when he agreed to conduct the funeral service of my cousin Ramesh, who had died in an accident. Apparently, my cousin had become a Christian and had stated that he wanted to be buried according to Christian rites. The family was in a dilemma, as they knew no Christian clerics who could do the needful. A call to Sim through my mother-in-law, and Ramesh - who never knew the pastor - had his last wish fulfilled.
As Sim sits in his office and goes through his stack of files, people are always dropping by to seek his assistance to obtain help from the Welfare Department or Socso, advice on which hospital to go to and those who know his pharmaceutical background turn up with packets of medicine to seek his opinion on their effectiveness.
His parishioners speak about how Sim and his wife have provided shelter in their home for troubled teenagers, drug addicts and the terminally ill, taking care of them like members of their own family.
They visit nursing homes, contribute their time to a group of special children and are always ready to counsel, pray, feed and guide people who need it with the help of others who are like-minded.
"It is part and parcel of our duty to help others," he says.
How come there are so few people who feel this way and take the extra step to help others, I ask.
"It is the nature of men. To be materialistic and go about focusing on their own lives with little regard to those around them. There will come a time in everyone's life when they reflect on how they have lived their lives and decide that they need to make amends. I hope more will come to the crossroads, sooner than later.
"To be able to receive and give goes beyond our natural life and the change must come from the heart."
He says Christmas seems to have a new face in this modern era with advertising and commercialism urging us to focus on giving expensive gifts and elaborate parties.
He recommends young people to set a limit for the gifts they buy for each other, especially if they hang out as a group.
"Limiting the cost of each gift to, say RM5, would mean those who cannot afford expensive presents would not struggle to meet the standards set by their peers. Furthermore, there will be more thought put into getting a meaningful present instead of the focus being how costly it should be," he says.
Sim and his wife are known to make creative handcrafted presents - putting time, energy and love into creating meaningful customised gifts that are more appreciated than picking something from the shelf of a shopping mall.
He stresses the need for people to challenge themselves to become better persons in everything they do, to "walk the talk" and live exemplary lives that can be emulated by others.
As members of the United Marriage Encounter, Sim and Chew share their experiences with other married couples on how to live a happy and harmonious life and cope with the stress and problems that crop up.
"It is about sharing triumphs, accepting weaknesses and taking up challenges by talking about relevant experiences," he says, adding that such meetings have taken him to as far as Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Giving up a stable and respected career to focus on serving God is something that takes a lot of intrepidity, especially in an age when people are focusing on acquiring material possessions and earning more and more. For Sim and Chew, it's about faith. And though they lead humble lifestyles, they claim to being rich spiritually, as well as in their relationships.
Having counselled and prayed for hundreds of people in the course of their ministry, reunited estranged couples, ministered to the sick and dying, comforted the bereaved, that must surely be true. Their reward, at least on Earth, must be the love and gratitude of those they have helped. They have done all this not just out of a sense of pastoral duty but because of a genuine love for their fellow human beings.
In their quiet, compassionate and non-judgmental way, they have made an impact on the lives of many people. And holding on to their principles, they will, no doubt, focus this Christmas on spreading the goodwill and cheer in the way that truly matters - by praying for those who have little or no hope in their lives.
（Copyright 2007 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.）
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