1. Free Malaysia Today (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com)
(1) Religious council condemns raid on church, 4 August 2011
by Patrick Lee
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian authorities appear to have little respect for places of worship, an interfaith council said.
Reverend Thomas Philips, head of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST), who said this, condemned a raid on a church last night.
“It is a total disregard for respect. Whoever initiated the raid should have known better. You can’t just simply go inside a church and create problems,” he said.
More than 30 police and Selangor Islamic Department (JAIS) officers, several in plainclothes, raided the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) in Section 13.
Harapan Komuniti, an NGO, was hosting an annual thanksgiving dinner for about 100 people, including 15 Malays at the Dream Centre building which houses the church.
Acting without a warrant, the government officials gate-crashed the event at around 10pm, seizing programme sheets and questioning dinner guests.
Philips said that any sort of raid or investigation into a house of worship needed to be coordinated alongside local religious leaders.
“What if they (the authorities) interrupted a wedding (ceremony) or another religious activity?” he asked, adding that such an act would certainly result in a public backlash.
He added that the least government officials could have done was to get clearance before conducting the raid.
Undue harassment
In a statement, DUMC senior pastor Daniel Ho said that the church was “highly disappointed” with the authorities, who entered without a warrant.
“They have subjected all the guests at the thanksgiving dinner to undue harassment.”
Both JAIS and the police, he added, upon entering the church premises, started to take videos and photographs.
“When asked why they were there, JAIS officers replied that they received a complaint, the nature of which they could not disclose, neither could provide a copy of the complaint,” said Ho.
He said the officers proceeded to take down the details of the Muslims present before leaving the premises.
He also revealed that Harapan Komuniti was hosting a “celebratory gathering” of people involved with the NGO’s activities.
He said that the gathering was to celebrate the NGO’s work in various community projects, involving HIV/AIDS and natural disasters.
Sultan should interfere
Christian Federation of Malaysia chairman Bishop Ng Moon Hing said his federation was “deeply shocked” and “appalled” by the raid.
The federation urged the Sultan of Selangor to intervene and conduct a thorough investigation on the matter.
Calling the actions of the state religious enforcement authority “high-handed and repugnant”, Ng also questioned the legality of the raid and the subsequent interrogation and harassment of the dinner guests.
“Christians are shocked and saddened at this deplorable action,” he said.
“This arbitrary action of the JAIS and the police officers is an affront to the values of mutual respect and harmony which should be accorded to every person, regardless of religious, cultural or ethnic background in Malaysia."
Ng said there has been an increase in cases where Christians have been singled out and targeted with unjustified accusations and prejudice from various groups as well as certain mainstream media which have made inflammatory statements against the spirit of 1Malaysia.
State government, PAS should take responsibility
MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek said the state executive councillor in charge of Islamic affairs, PAS’ Hassan Ali, must explain the “uncalled for and disrespectful” raid.
Stating that JAIS should apologise for its rude intervention, Chua added that even if there were suspicions or complaints, the JAIS enforcement officers should have waited until the event was over.
“In no uncertain terms should the officers gatecrash a function which was held within the confines of the church ground.
“The incident serves as a reminder to non-Muslims, including the church, that PAS is not as liberal as it claims to be,” he said in a statement. He also hit out at PAS for imposing its religious will on others.
Meanwhile, MCA vice-president Senator Gan Ping Sieu demanded an explanation and apology from the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government over the JAIS raid.
“For state enforcement officials to disrupt a dinner held to promote unity, question the multi-racial participants and seize the programme booklet, is an outrageous conduct and is against pluralism practices and the concept of unity,” he said in a statement.
Gan said it was all the more shameful as it took place during the holy month of Ramadan.
“All along, the Pakatan Rakyat has made a mockery of Barisan Nasional’s 1Malaysia concept but last night’s raid again brought to the fore the coalition’s narrow-mindedness and parochial inclinations,” he said.
He questioned why Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok, who is a Christian, have remained silent.
Gan said the latest incident only showed that Pakatan has allowed extremism to creep into its administration, citing the examples of opposition against the MTV
concert, the proposal to ban sale of beer, and a recent plan to close entertainment outlets in Kedah during Ramadan.
(2) S’gor expresses regrets over unwarranted raid on church, 4 August 2011
by Patrick Lee
PETALING JAYA: The Selangor government has expressed regrets over an unwarranted raid on a church by religious authorities last night.
A statement from the Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s office said Khalid spoke to Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) senior pastor Daniel Ho over the matter.
The statement also said that JAIS (Selangor Islamic Department) – which comes under the purview of the state government – was asked to give a full report on the matter.
According to the statement, Khalid was quoted as saying: “I told him (Ho) that the state has instructed JAIS to provide a full report detailing the incident, including its justifications for its actions last night.”
Khalid added that he hoped to meet Ho after the report was completed.
Last night, more than 30 police and JAIS officers raided DUMC’s Section 13 premises in Petaling Jaya following an unverified complaint.
At the time, a thanksgiving dinner hosted by an NGO, Harapan Komuniti, was being held at the church building.
The event was attended by more than 100 people, including 15 Malays.
Gatecrashing the event without a warrant, the government officials then took pictures and videotaped the event. They also questioned the Muslim guests there.
2. Malaysiakini (http://www.malaysiakini.com)
(1) Multi-racial dinner at church disrupted, 4 August 2011
by Jais
Officers from the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) last night trespassed into a church compound in Petaling Jaya and disrupted a multiracial thanksgiving dinner.
According to Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) senior pastor Daniel Ho, a group of between 20 to 30 Jais and police officers, uniformed and plainclothes, entered the premises without a warrant.
"They entered the hall where the dinner was taking place, and started taking videos and photographs," said Ho in a statement today.
"When asked by the organisers why they were there, a Jais (official) replied that they received a complaint, but was unable to produce a copy (of the complaint) when asked," he added.
Ho claimed that Jais officers took down details of the Muslim guests before leaving the premises with the police.
According to him, the dinner was held by non-profit organisation Harapan Komuniti at the Dream Centre, an activity complex within the DUMC compound.
The occasion was to commemorate the NGO's efforts on numerous community projects, including with women and children, and victims of HIV/AIDS and natural disasters.
"Harapan Komuniti is a community-based NGO that brings love, hope and peace to the poor, needy and marginalised, regardless of race, language, religion or status.
"The dinner was a multiracial celebratory gathering of volunteers, leaders, supporters and members of the community who have benefited from the NGO's work," Ho explained.
DUMC and Community Excel Services, which had rented Dream Center, said they were highly disappointed with the actions of Jais and police officers who had entered and searched a private property without a warrant.
"They have subjected all guests at the Thanksgiving Dinner to undue harassment," said Ho, stressing the dinner's aim of appreciating and commemorating Harapan Komuniti's efforts to help Malaysians of all walks of life."
Ho called on all Malaysians not to condone this breach of freedom of assembly and association as provided by Article 10 of the federal constitution, "but to live in mutual trust and love, to promote peace, harmony and unity in the true spirit of 1Malaysia".
According to DUMC members who posted about the incident on micro-blogging website Twitter, Jais officers ransacked the garbage bins of the church.
Last Friday, Dream Centre hosted an electoral reform forum organised by the Association for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham), featuring Bersih 2.0 chief Ambiga Sreenevasan and Election Commission deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.
(2) Church raid: Jais found 'proof of proselytisation', 4 August 2011
Selangor exco member in charge of Islamic affairs Hasan Ali justified the raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church last night, saying that there was evidence of proselytisation.
In a statement late today, Hasan said that 12 Muslims had participated in the dinner event on the church premises, and further investigations are under way against them.
“Based on our preliminary investigations, we find that those involved in the event can be charged under Section 10 of the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1995.
“We also found evidence of proselytisation towards Muslims,” he said.
Section 10 makes it an offence for anyone to insult or cause Islam to be maligned through words, drawings, symbols or any other manner. The maximum penalty is RM5,000 or three years jail or both.
He, however, insists that there was “no raid nor arrests” made, and that the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) had only done a “search” of the premises.
He added that the “search” was conducted following a tip-off that Muslims were attending a breaking fast dinner in the church.
“Jais enforcement officers, with police, had done a search on the premises despite being stopped by the organisers,” he said, adding that the main organiser is believed to be a Muslim.
Hasan added that Jais reported that the event featured a speaker who used the words “Quran” and “pray (in English)” in his speech.
He also said that organisers tried to “destroy evidence” when enforcement officers began the search after an hour-long negotiation with the said “main organiser”.
“Some participants had tried to escape through the back door but were stopped by enforcement officers,” he said.
MB express regrets, orders full report from Jais
Meanwhile, in a statement sent moments before Hasan's, Selangor MB Abdul Khalid Ibrahim broke his silence by expressing regret over the raid.
In a statement late today, Abdul Khalid said that he had “personally called” DUMC senior pastor Daniel Ho on the matter.
“I told him that the state has instructed Jas to provide a full report detailing the incident, including their justifications for their actions that night. I hope to meet the pastor again once the report is completed,” said the MB.
Reassuring the residents of Selangor, Abdul Khalid said that the state government “fully respects freedom of religion of the rights of religious groups to manage their affairs”.
Abdul Khalid's statement, however, falls short of an apology demanded by BN leaders in the wake of the event.
Last night, Jais officers barged into a 1Malaysia dinner attended by guests from different ethnicities held on church premises.
Church officials said that the officers had questioned the guests and seized programme booklets during the incident.
3. The Malaysian Insider (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com)
(1) Selangor regrets church raid, asks Jais for report, 4 August 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has asked the state Islamic authorities today to justify their raid on a multiracial dinner at a Petaling Jaya church last night, adding he regretted the incident that has caused a public outrage.
A group from the Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) raided the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) building during a dinner and had questioned a few Malay guests based on an unspecified complaint.
Khalid said today he had called DUMC's senior pastor Daniel Ho to personally express his regrets regarding the incident.
“I told him that the state has instructed JAIS to provide a full report detailing the incident, including their justifications for their actions that night. I hope to meet the pastor again once the report is completed,” said the Mentri Besar in a statement this evening,
He also assured the people of Selangor that the state government fully respects freedom of religion and the rights of religious groups to manage their affairs.
In the statement, Khalid sought to contain growing outrage over the incident by saying that "the state is always open to engagement and dialogue regarding the harmonious and mutually respectful coexistence of different religious communities, and appreciates the efforts of all who seek to build a more united society".
In a statement today, DUMC’s senior pastor Ho related how a group of 20 to 30 of Selangor’s religious police had entered its rented premises at the Dream Centre in Petaling Jayan without a warrant and intimidated invited guests, including Muslims, at its private dinner celebration last night.
“They have subjected all guests at the Thanksgiving Dinner to undue harassment,” he said, noting that not all the enforcement group were in uniform and had failed to produce a copy of the complaint when asked for the reason for the raid.
Ho stressed that the dinner was non-religious in nature but held to celebrate the work of non-profit organisation Harapan Komuniti in helping women, children, HIV/AIDS sufferers and victims of natural disasters.
“We call on all Malaysians not to condone this breach of freedom of assembly and association as provided by provided Article 10 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, but to live in mutual trust and love, to promote peace, harmony and unity in the true spirit of 1 Malaysia,” he said.
The pastor told The Malaysian Insider last night that the thanksgiving dinner organised by Harapan Komuniti was attended by between 100 and 120 guests of all races.
“This is a dinner for people to come in the 1 Malaysia spirit,” Ho said, adding they were mainly Christian although he admitted there were “there were about 15 or so Malays.”
Last night’s raid in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state came after Malaysia sealed formal ties with the Vatican last month, seen as a high point in religious relations where Muslims are the majority.
(2) Hasan Ali backs Jais raid, says ‘Quran’ and ‘Pray’ used in front of Muslims, 4 August 2011
by Debra Chong
SHAH ALAM, Aug 4 — Selangor executive councillor Datuk Hasan Ali defended today a late-night state Islamic enforcement raid on a church in Petaling Jaya yesterday, saying the words “Quran” and “pray” were used in the presence of Muslims at the dinner function.
He claimed this was part of the authorities’ evidence that Christians were proselytising to Muslims.
Widely seen as a religious conservative, Hasan has been at odds with the ruling Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government’s seemingly liberal policies on several occasions, most notably his push for a beer sale ban in the country’s most developed state earlier this year.
Hasan had lost badly in the recent PAS election as the Islamist party moved to embrace leaders like Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad who is seen to represent a more progressive and inclusive brand of Islam.
Dropped as PAS Selangor chief after the party polls, Hasan’s statement today is seen to rebuff his tendency to mirror rival Malay party Umno’s thinking.
“Towards the end of the event, the enforcement team and the police had made checks and found attempts to prevent their examination and to get rid of the evidence material,” the PAS man said in a statement faxed to The Malaysian Insider this evening.
He said the authorities had discovered further materials to prove there was activity to proselytise a religion other than Islam to Muslims, but did not disclose what they were.
Hasan added that several Muslims had attempted to flee the premises through the church’s back door but were successfully stopped by Jais.
He also denied the authorities had carried out a “raid” on the church as alleged, saying instead it was merely an “examination” that was based on a report that Muslims had attended the church dinner’s “break fast” event.
“There was no raid and no arrests. Instead, examinations were conducted after negotiations with the organiser,” he said.
Hasan said 12 Muslims who attended the dinner have been ordered to turn up at the Jais enforcement office for further investigation.
“Based on initial investigations those involved can be charged under Section 10 of the Syariah Criminal Enactment 1995.”
The executive councillor in charge of Islamic religious affairs’ remarks came just after Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim moved to calm the uproar over the raid.
Earlier today, Khalid had asked the state Islamic authorities to justify their raid on the multiracial dinner at a Petaling Jaya church last night, adding he regretted the incident that has caused a public outrage.
A group from the Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) raided the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) building during a dinner and had questioned a few Malay guests based on an unspecified complaint.
Khalid said today he had called DUMC’s senior pastor Daniel Ho to personally express his regrets regarding the incident.
“I told him that the state has instructed Jais to provide a full report detailing the incident, including their justifications for their actions that night. I hope to meet the pastor again once the report is completed,” said the Mentri Besar in a statement this evening,
He also assured the people of Selangor that the state government fully respects freedom of religion and the rights of religious groups to manage their affairs.
In the statement, Khalid sought to contain growing outrage over the incident by saying that “the state is always open to engagement and dialogue regarding the harmonious and mutually respectful coexistence of different religious communities, and appreciates the efforts of all who seek to build a more united society”.
In a statement today, DUMC’s senior pastor Ho related how a group of 20 to 30 of Selangor’s religious police had entered its rented premises at the Dream Centre in Petaling Jayan without a warrant and intimidated invited guests, including Muslims, at its private dinner celebration last night.
“They have subjected all guests at the Thanksgiving Dinner to undue harassment,” he said, noting that not all the enforcement group were in uniform and had failed to produce a copy of the complaint when asked for the reason for the raid.
Ho stressed that the dinner was non-religious in nature but held to celebrate the work of non-profit organisation Harapan Komuniti in helping women, children, HIV/AIDS sufferers and victims of natural disasters.
“We call on all Malaysians not to condone this breach of freedom of assembly and association as provided by provided Article 10 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, but to live in mutual trust and love, to promote peace, harmony and unity in the true spirit of 1 Malaysia,” he said.
The pastor told The Malaysian Insider last night that the thanksgiving dinner organised by Harapan Komuniti was attended by between 100 and 120 guests of all races.
(3) Hasan Ali pertahan Jais, dakwa ada usaha murtadkan Muslim, 4 Ogos 2011
Oleh G Manimaran
KUALA LUMPUR, 4 Ogos — Exco Kerajaan Negeri Selangor Datuk Dr Hasan Ali mempertahankan tindakan Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) yang menyerbu majlis makan malam Gereja Methodist Damansara Utama semalam atas alasan ada bukti mahu memurtadkan umat Islam.
Hasan menegaskan maklumat yang beliau diterima menunjukkan terdapat kehadiran orang Islam pada majlis berbuka puasa di gereja berkenaan malam tadi.
Tambah beliau, pada majlis itu juga pihaknya dimaklumkan perkataan “Quran” dan “pray” diselitkan pada ucapan di majlis itu.
Hasan (gambar) menambah seramai 12 orang beragama Islam telah menghadri majlis tersebut tetapi tiada tangkapan dibuat.
Mereka disiasat mengikut Seksyen 10 Enakmen Jenayah Syariah 1995.
“Sebaliknya pemeriksaan dilakukan hanya selepas rundingan dengan pihak penganjur diadakan,” kata beliau menerusi kenyataan akhbar petang ini.
Bekas pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor itu menambah anggota penguat kuasa Jais dan polis telah menjalankan pemeriksaan di bangunan gereja itu walaupun cuba dihalang oleh pihak penganjur.
“Penganjur utama yang dipercayai beragama Islam telah berunding selama hampir satu jam bersama ketua operasi agar pemeriksaan ke atas tempat dan individu tidak dilakukan sehingga majlis tersebut selesai,” kata Hasan lagi.
Jelas beliau, apabila majlis hampir tamat, Jais dan polis telah membuat pemeriksaan meskipun terdapat cubaan bagi menghalang pemeriksaan dan melupuskan bahan bukti.
“Pegawai pengua kuasa Jais dan polis mendapati ada percubaan di kalangan peserta untuk melarikan diri melalui pintu belakang premis tetapi berjaya dihalang,” katanya.
Kenyataan itu berkata kesemua 12 mereka telah diarah untuk menghadirkan diri di Jais untuk siasatan lanjut.
Terdahulu dalam satu kenyataan, Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim berkata, kerajaan negeri Selangor memandang serius tindakan Jais dan polis menyerbu majlis makan malam muhibbah itu malam tadi.
Khalid berkata beliau secara peribadi telah menghubungi Pastor Daniel Ho dan menyatakan kekesalan pihak kerajaan negeri berhubung insiden tersebut.
“Saya memberitahu beliau bahawa saya telah minta Jais menyediakan laporan penuh mengenai insiden ini, termasuk sebab-sebab terperinci serbuan tersebut dilakukan.
“Saya berharap dapat berjumpa dengan Pastor Daniel Ho sebaik sahaja laporan lengkap ini diterima,” kata beliau.
Sehubungan itu, Khalid menegaskan, kerajaan Selangor selalu menghormati kebebasan beragama dan hak semua pihak untuk meraikan kebudayaan dan kepercayaan mereka.
Beliau juga mengulangi bahawa kerajaan negeri sentiasa terbuka kepada perbincangan dan dialog mengenai keharmonian dan toleransi di kalangan rakyat yang pelbagai agama serta amat menghargai usaha-usaha meningkatkan kefahaman antara agama sekali gus menyatupadukan rakyat.
Ho berkata, kira-kira 30 anggota polis dan pihak berkuasa Jais memasuki premis gereja itu tanpa waran kira-kira 10 malam tadi.
Majlis itu dihadiri antara 100 hingga 120 orang dari pelbagai kaum.
“Ini adalah majlis makan malam bagi orang ramai datang atas semangat 1 Malaysia. Kebanyakannya beragama Kristian... ada juga (hadirin), kira-kira 15 orang Melayu,” katanya lagi.
Pihak berkuasa berkenaan menyoal siasat hadirin tetapi tiada sesiapa pun yang ditahan.
(End)
