Bishops of churches in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak will convene a meeting early next week to deliberate on the government’s offer to resolve the Al-Kitab issue.

According to sources within the Christian Federation of Malaysia, which represents 90 percent of churches in the country, the meeting is to consider the offer from the government due to its “long-term implications for the church”.

The source, who declined to be named, said that CFM and Christian leaders are currently “reflecting on and in prayer over the matter”.

“(We) do not wish to rush head-long into a decision without due prayer, consultation and deliberation,” he said.

The meeting will be also attended by “bishops through the various component bodies of CFM, regional church bodies and the other stakeholders”.

CFM chairperson Bishop Ng Moon Hing is also the Bishop of the Anglican diocese of West Malaysia.

The decision to convene the meeting was made after a statement by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala’s department said that the government no longer needs the Al-Kitab to be serialised nor stamped by the Home Ministry.

Instead, the government would require only that the words ‘For Christianity’ in Arial font size 16 be either printed on the books at source or stamped with those words at the receiving port.

The Al-Kitab impounded have already been stamped with the words "Peringatan: Al-Kitab Berita Baik ini untuk kegunaan penganut agama Kristian sahaja. Dengan Perintah Menteri Dalam Negeri" (Reminder: This Al-Kitab Berita Baik is only for the use of Christians. By order of the Home Minister)

There was also a space where serial numbers were required to be printed.

The consignees have rejected claiming the Al-Kitab after it was made known that they had been stamped without their permission or consultation, claiming that the ministry had violated their holy book.