Council of Churches of Malaysia (http://www.ccmalaysia.org)
CFM Press Statement on Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day 2010
KPI for Government: Doing Good, Punishing Wrong-doers
Malaysians together will soon celebrate our 53rd National Day and our 47th Malaysia Day. We invite all Christians – in Semenanjung, Sabah and Sarawak – to join our fellow Malaysians in offering prayers of thanksgiving to Almighty God for showering our nation with His blessings, favour and kind mercies. As we focus on the theme of 1Malaysia generates transformation, let us continue to pray to Almighty God that the governing authorities will fulfil that most basic of all KPIs, namely, of doing good and bringing wrong-doers to justice (The Letter to the Romans 13:4).
We enjoin all Malaysians to uphold the spirit of our Federal Constitution. The Federal Constitution remains the sole foundational document that symbolises our collective hopes and dreams for our beloved secular Malaysia. Therefore, we call upon all Malaysians to speak up loudly to protect and defend it when the spirit of the Federal Constitution, the spirit of Malaysia, is threatened by word or deed. Let it not be trampled upon!
Malaysians deserve courageous and committed leaders who will have the courage and the strength of character to do what is right and who are resolute in bringing wrong-doers to justice. In the name of a fair and just Malaysia our leaders must resolutely respond to those who continue to harp on issues of race and religion for their own personal gain and selfish ambition. In recent times we have seen even those who occupy positions of influence blatantly exhibiting racist attitudes and behaviour and promoting hate speech and disunity.
The Christian community in Malaysia has taken note of the government’s efforts to ensure that Malaysia is on the road to a fair and just society by embarking on policies and programmes that will transform our nation and bring improvement to the quality of life for all Malaysians regardless of race or religion. We welcome especially the policy of inclusive development that includes our Orang Asli communities, the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak, the urban poor, the marginalised, and the powerless so that no Malaysian is left behind. We pray that those in authority will engage and consult with every stakeholder so that all Malaysians will have a real and meaningful voice in deciding the direction in which the development of their communities will be achieved.
Yet we warn that there are evil people in this country that clearly do not seek the common good and well-being of all Malaysians. We call on the government to work to frustrate the efforts of all such groups even if it means acting against elements within the administration of the ruling coalition itself.
53 years after Merdeka and 47 years since the formation of Malaysia, we still face many unresolved issues. Foremost is rampant corruption which must be dealt with aggressively to cut off its destructive influence. Other unresolved issues include the many cases where the religious conversion of one spouse in a marriage has resulted in great injustice to the non-converting spouse and the children of the marriage; the continuing ban of the Allah word which affects the printing of the Alkitab and Christian publications and the lack of adequate and proper land to build places of worship and for use as burial grounds for non-Muslims.
As Malaysians we have always lived in the midst of minarets, church steeples, temple bells, religious celebrations and processions. This is the hallmark of Malaysian life. Yet today many of us are being segregated, separated and segmented by the inappropriate application and imposition of sectarian religious values by elements within the very same government that is charged with protecting and preserving our religious freedoms and fundamental liberties. We call on all Malaysians not to allow such insensitive attitudes and actions to divide us, and to stand together to oppose those who would damage and ultimately destroy the unity that our founding fathers so earnestly and sincerely forged with one another.
Fellow Malaysian Christians let us pledge to work with all Malaysians to further national unity and integration and bring about an attitude of “prosper thy neighbour”. Let us respect all differing faiths, uphold justice, serve the needy with a heart of compassion, work for a truly vibrant democracy, and foster the transparency, integrity and accountability of our public institutions.
The churches throughout Malaysia pray for the good health of our beloved Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Raja Permaisuri Agong, the Sultans, the Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet, the Menteris Besar and Chief Ministers of the states and their executive councillors, the Leader of the Opposition, our parliamentarians and members of our state assemblies of all political persuasions, and also for all the judges and judicial officers in our land. May God guide them to remain true and honourable to their calling as they serve all Malaysians.
Selamat Hari Merdeka and Hari Malaysia.
Dated this 27th August 2010.
Bishop Ng Moon Hing Chairman
Rev. Dr. Thomas Philips Vice-Chairman
Elder Kong Yeng Phooi Vice-Chairman
Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom Vice-Chairman
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