Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian has accused BN leaders of being naïve in applauding the “purported” release of 30,000 copies of the Bible in the Indonesian language by the Home Ministry on Tuesday.

“They applauded and celebrated without knowing the conditions imposed by the ministry for the release of the Perjanjian Baru, Mazmur dan Amsal (New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs) to the consignee,” he said yesterday.

“I strongly sense that the BN leaders, in particular Umno leaders, are not too certain that the release is altogether legal.

“They are saying that this is permissible because Sarawak has no official religion and no state enactment that prohibits the use of the word 'Allah'.

NONE “Let us make no mistake that all these are mere politicking gestures to appease the huge number of Christians in Sarawak as the state elections looms.

“The decision to release the Bible is not because of our accorded rights enshrined under Article 11 of the federal constitution but a political exercise to please Sarawakian Christians,” Baru ( left ) said, urging Christians in the state to make a stand that the two conditions proposed by the Home Ministry are unwarranted, unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional.

He said the freedom of the use of the Bible in the Malay language should not only be allowed or lawful and permissible for the state of Sarawak but throughout Malaysia, since this was guaranteed under article 11 of the federal constitution.

“This freedom of religion includes not only the right to profess but to propagate one’s belief and the educating and upbringing of members in the faith,” he said.

Baru said the conditions imposed are deemed a restriction and harassment of the religious freedom of Christians in Malaysia and a blatant misuse and abuse of powers by the relevant authorities.

“No one should be allowed to dictate to Christians how they should use their Holy Scriptures, just as no other holy books of other faiths should be tampered with.

‘Withdraw appeal in Herald case’

“If the government is serious and sincere about resolving this issue once and for all, then it should not only release the copies of the Bible, but must also withdraw its appeal in the Herald case and admit to its unlawful act in the Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) case, both of which are pending in court,” he said.

The federal government ordered the release of the Bible on March 15, with the conditions that each copy must be stamped with the words “For Christians Only” and a serial number on the inside cover.

The Home Ministry stopped the consignee from removing 30,000 copies of the Bible from Kuching Port on Jan 12 this year.

The copies are now at the ministry’s Sarawak office on Jalan Satok.

The consignee was told to collect the copies of the Bible two days ago, but it refused upon the advice of the church leaders in Sarawak who wanted certain clarifications from the ministry.