Malaysiakini（http://www.malaysiakini.com）
(1) 'Christian state': Revoke Utusan's permit, says MP, 19 October 2011
by Hazlan Zakaria
An opposition MP wants the Home Ministry to revoke Utusan Malaysia's publishing permit for "false reporting"and for playing up a claim that Christian pastors had conspired to make Penang a Christian state.
At a press conference in Parliament House, DAP's Jelutong parliamentarian Jeff Ooi demanded action by the home minister.
“I want Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to use his powers and revoke Utusan’s publication licence for causing tension and trying to pit the religions against each other. You cannot protect the liars,” urged the MP.
Ooi said the Umno-owned Malay daily had reported information from pro-Umno blogger Big Dog Dot Com without attempting to verify the truth of the claim.
“They took mentah-mentah (at face value) the entry from Big Dog.”
The ministry’s recent written parliamentary reply to Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin stated that after an investigation under the Section 41(a) of the Sedition Act, "there is no firm evidence" of any such conspiracy, and that the Attorney-General’s Chambers had filed the investigation papers as requiring 'no further action'.
The controversy broke after Utusan in a May 7 report claimed that several pastors and Ooi were plotting to make Christianity the country's official religion.
This was based on a dinner held in conjunction with a conference organised by the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship on May 5 and 6.
Ooi, the Christian clergy and the Penang state government have vehemently denied the accusation.
However, former DAP member Mohamed Razali Abdul Rahman still insists that the “Christian state plot” exists, warning “certain quarters” against confusing the people by denying the alleged ‘Christian conspiracy’ he had had exposed.
(2) Christian-state plot exists, insists ex-DAP man, 19 October 2011
Former DAP member Mohamed Razali Abdul Rahman has warned "certain quarters" against confusing the public by denying the alleged 'Christian conspiracy' he had exposed earlier this year.
"No one should question the authorities' credibility in investigating this issue… I was there, I know what happened," he claimed in an Utusan Malaysia report today.
Razali was responding to Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi's revelation that Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has confirmed in a parliamentary written reply, that there is no evidence to support the allegation.
The written reply to Kulim Bandar Bharu MP Zulkifli Nordin revealed that the deputy public prosecutor has classified the matter as ‘No further action’ after receiving the investigation papers.
The controversy broke after Utusan in a May 7 report claimed that several pastors and Ooi were plotting to make Christianity the country's official religion.
This was based on a dinner held in conjunction with a conference organised by the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship on May 5 and 6.
Despite the reply, Hishammuddin has challenged Ooi to “sue Utusan”.
The minister had initially reacted to the report by saying that there was “some basis” to the ‘Christian conspiracy’ claim.
However Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng vehemently denied the accusation.
(3) Bishop hails 'bold trio' for anti-Himpun stance, 19 October 2011
by Terence Netto
Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing today hailed PAS, PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek for “taking sane stances in the face of deliberate attempts to stoke anti-Christian hysteria.”
The head of the Catholic Church for the Melaka-Johor diocese, reached in Bangkok where he is attending a meeting of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference, said:
“I’ve been following the developments in Malaysia on the internet and would like to salute PAS for declining to be involved in the upcoming rally in Shah Alam on Saturday."
The Jesuit-trained prelate, who is concurrently president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, added that “further, I hail Anwar Ibrahim for having the courage to state there is no threat of Christianisation of Muslims in Malaysia and salute Dr Chua Soi Lek for boldness in expressing the view that the rally would heighten tensions between Muslims and Christians and for that reason should be stopped.”
Bishop Paul said he was of the view that citizens wanting to gather together in a cause should not be prevented but “the Himpun rally appears headed towards stoking anti-Christian hysteria.”
“Judging from the campaign waged by some sections of the mainstream media and blogs, you would think Muslims in Malaysia in droves are being covertly converted to Christianity,” he said.
“This is only true in the fevered imagination of the Harussani Zakarias’ of this country and not anywhere else,” opined the bishop.
Irresponsible gov’t deserves voters rejection
Harussani Zakaria is the Perak mufti who has periodically raised the alarums about Christianisation of Muslims in Malaysia.
“In all the history of Muslim-Christian relations since independence, I have never seen a government so casual and so irresponsible as to allow the fabrications this man has visited on the general population go by with impunity,” lamented the prelate.
One of the speakers at the Himpunan Sejuta Umat this weekend is Harussani.
Bishop Paul Tan said Christian leaders have a duty to oppose evil.
“Any government this duplicitous, this craven in the face of the obvious troublemakers is a government deserving of the electorate’s rejection,” he asserted.
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