Catholic News India (http://www.catholicnewsindia.com)
Methodist church helps register voters, 21 July 2010
A Malaysian Methodist church has joined an increasing number of churches in holding a voters’ registration drive to encourage greater Christian participation in political life.
The July 18 event held at the Sungai Way-Subang Methodist Church in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, saw 68 people registering as new voters with members of the Election Commission, who were present.
Another 77 updated their particulars.
Local media reported that some Muslims also took part in the exercise.
This was the first time that a Malaysian Methodist church has held such an event although a few Catholic churches in the Kuala Lumpur area and in Penang have already done so, said Reverend Sivin Kit of the Bangsar Lutheran Church.
He was one of several pastors and Christian media professionals who spoke at a discussion session titled Christians and Citizenship, held after the voter registration drive.
Malaysian Christians are becoming more politically aware and more conscious of social and civic issues that affect them, Reverend Kit told the 400 people present.
University students and young adults are now asking probing questions on how the Church can more effectively address societal concerns, he said.
Another pastor, Reverend Jerry Dusing, highlighted how the East Malaysian territories of Sabah and Sarawak are facing growing Islamization, poverty and a need for effective leadership.
The Christian population is also dwindling in these areas, said the president of Sidang Injil Borneo, an Evangelical Church based in East Malaysia.
Participants also raised several issues.
These included how Christians can collaborate with the majority Malay-Muslim population to serve the nation, how Christians can be agents of change for the country’s good, and the issue of Christians emigrating from Malaysia.
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