MCA today proposed that the government allow the Malay-language Bible to be published locally.

Party president Dr Chua Soi Lek said the use of the Malay-language Bible is particularly critical for Christians in Sabah and Sarawak, where Bahasa Malaysia is “commonly used for the learning of the religion”.

“The MCA proposes that Bibles in the national language be allowed to be printed locally by approved printing houses sanctioned by the Home Ministry,” he said in a statement.

NONE “If Bibles in the national language are printed locally, then it can be allowed to be circulated to churches with proper supervision.”

Chua ( right ) said MCA acknowledges Islam’s position as the country’s official religion and that religion is a sensitive issue, but stressed that at the same time the federal constitution guarantees the right of every Malaysian to protect and practice their religion freely.

He pointed out that with Bahasa Malaysia being the medium of instruction in schools, it is only natural for the younger generation to be more proficient in the language than in English.

He added that Sabahans and Sarawakians working in peninsula Malaysia regularly attend church services conducted in Bahasa Malaysia.

“Any restraint on the use of the Bible in the national language is tantamount to taking away non-Muslims’ rights of freedom of practising one’s faith.

“The government must understand that more and more, Bahasa Malaysia will be used in a greater manner, especially among the young.

“The fulfilment of religious needs should not be confined to selected languages. The MCA appeals to the government to meet church groups and resolve the issue soon.

“We must embrace such development in all graciousness, not with suspicion and in the spirit of 1Malaysia,” he said, adding that this should not be allowed to be turned into a political issue in the looming Sarawak state elections.

‘Seizure is unconstitutional’

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, meanwhile, hit out at the federal government for seizing 30,000 copies of the Malay-language Bible at two ports, saying it goes against the spirit of the federal constitution.

He said the federal government’s move to confiscate translated copies of the holy book goes against Malaysians’ “basic right to freedom of religion”.

Further prohibiting the Bible just because it is in Bahasa Malaysia is contrary also to the position of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language,” he said in a statement.

NONE Religion should not be politicised but is a matter of personal faith to be exercised by the individual, especially when there is no threat to other religions or to the peace and harmony of our country.”

Lim ( left ) stressed that it has been long practised by non-Muslim bumiputeras and East Malaysians to learn and practice Christianity in the national language.

“Depriving them of their holy scriptures is therefore unconstitutional and clearly exposes exposes the hype of 1Malaysia is just mere rhetoric and propaganda,” he said, adding that their rights are enshrined under Article 11 of the federal constitution, which “expressly allows every person the right to profess and practice his/her own religion”.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, urged the government to immediately release the seized Bibles, “to preserve the peaceful practice of cultural and religious diversity that is the hallmark of our nation”.

Yesterday, the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) claimed that authorities had ignored the promise by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that the Malay version of the Bible would not be banned.

The religious group made the claim after authorities made no move to release some 30,000 copies of the Malay language Bible, or Al-Kitab, which were confiscated at Port Klang and the Port of Kuching in late 2009.

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