The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
Sense of a people set apart remains Ceritalah, 27 May 2008
By KARIM RASLAN
Decades of creeping Islamisation has seen a steady erosion of Christian confidence in Barisan Nasional.
JACKIE (not her real name) is a successful Kuala Lumpur based executive working for a local business group. Beneath her glamorous, professional exterior, however, is a committed Christian who spends a great deal of her spare time doing charitable work for the disadvantaged.
Jackie is also an indisputable source of the hottest corporate gossip – invariably tied with Umno politics.
It’s generally been little more than a source of amusement for her: “Alamak, they’re totally gila! Aiyah, Karim, they’re all the same! Who cares which one’s in power? Make money-lah.”
However, in the months leading up to the March 8 election, I noticed that Jackie had become less comfortable about the political climate. Something was ruffling her neatly-coiffed feathers.
Finally, after I’d pushed her to explain her silences, it all poured out – the anger and frustration of a being a Christian in Malaysia:
“Karim, in the past we were happy enough – they left us alone and we could practice our faith without problem. Anyhow it’s written in the Bible – ‘render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and render unto the Lord what is His’. We know where to draw the line. We know how to be loyal Malaysians but now everything’s upside down.
“Over the past few years, the pressure’s been building up. There’s the Lina Joy case, the demonstrations in Ipoh, the body-snatchings, the seizure of Bibles published in Malay and uproar over Article 11. It’s doesn’t stop! They never let you forget that you are different.“And just when you think things are getting better something else explodes onto the headlines.
“The worst thing is the silence from Putrajaya. We were promised strong leadership and tolerance. We got nothing. I don’t know if Malaysia is really my home anymore?”
What Jackie said was to haunt me for weeks and during the campaign period as I travelled across the nation, I sought out Christian voters to find out whether they shared the same sense of alienation and bitterness.
If anything, Jackie was less angry than the other Christians I spoke to because unlike my stylish, Prada-wearing friend, they lived far outside the charmed circles of privilege and power.In Penang, I encountered a charming but forthright religious leader who told me: “At best it’s like the Malay dance, the ronggeng – two steps forward then one step back. We’re always under pressure, always being squeezed. Frankly, I shall be very happy to leave this country though I was born here.”
Has Malaysia really become this closed-minded when it comes to religion?
According to Reverend Herman Shastri, general secretary to the Council of Churches Malaysia, who I spoke to before the March polls: “Points of tension between the different religions have been taking place with more frequency.
“Part of this is due to the fact that information is more easily disseminated now, but it is also indicative that Malaysians are changing. The youth, in particular the young leaders, are more willing to defend the rights of their faith.”
Estimates of the size of the Christian community vary – ranging from 8% to12% of the population, with large congregations in Sabah and Sarawak as well as the urban centres along the west coast of the peninsular.
In the run-up to the polls many church leaders, angered by the pressure (sometimes verging on intimidation) placed on the community, responded by calling for their congregations to vote for “tolerant, transparent and moderate leaders”, which in turn became a coded reference to the opposition.
I wonder whether Umno/Barisan strategists understood the extent to which their neglect of this generally apolitical community had forced them into the arms of the opposition?
Fortunately for Barisan, Christian unhappiness didn’t take root in Sabah and Sarawak, though the sustained attacks by narrow-minded religious authorities on the half-a-million strong Sidang Injil Borneo Malay-language evangelical church could easily change the equation, providing the opposition with a strong potential support base.
Still, the politicisation of the Christian community is not a sudden development.Decades of creeping Islamisation under the aegis of leaders like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has seen a steady erosion of Christian confidence, and it is this wave that swept Jackie from being a die-hard Barisan supporter to a sceptic.Still, March’s dramatic reversal of fortune for Barisan has certainly improved Jackie’s frame-of-mind: “I’m cautiously optimistic now,” she says, “but if we go back to the same old Barisan then we’re in big trouble. I want them – Barisan – to honour the multi-racial values and principles they began with 50 years ago.
“I’m still more comfortable with Barisan but I’ve been very impressed by some of the PAS leaders I’ve met. One in particular, Khalid Samad – the brother of the Minister, Shahrir Samad – came to visit our church.
“He came as an individual. He was very genuine and decent. We were all very defensive to begin with but by the end of his talk we gave him a standing ovation especially after he quoted from the Holy Quran on the importance of respecting other people's faiths.“I really hope that what’s happened will make Barisan respond in a similarly positive fashion.”
For Jackie then, the election results had brought a sense of calmness.
However, she was realistic: “You know-lah, we can’t depend on others. We have to work hard to keep the politicians honest and decent: that’s the key.”
While Jackie was more upbeat – or shall we say less anxious – many others remained deeply distrustful. True, they felt vindicated by the election outcome. Some even said that their prayers had been answered.
Nonetheless, they considered that leaders such as the DAP’s Teresa Kok and UPKO’s Bernard Dompok played a vital role in the face of the increased Islamisation.
Whatever the case, the endless infractions, the nasty bureaucratic delays over churches and constant carping had made many Christians feel less Malaysian and less at home.
While March 8 had demonstrated the power of their vote, the sense of being a people set apart remained deeply embedded.
（End）
