Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein hopes Christians will be able to accept a “fair and reasonable solution” to the controversial stamping of a disclaimer and serial number on the front page of the Al Kitab.

He said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala, a prominent member of the SIB Church, and “some of our friends” in Christian organisations are still discussing an amicable solution.

azlan “I’ve been getting mixed responses," he told reporters at Parliament House today.

"Some say they are going to collect it (copies of the Bible), some say they need some time, but I stand by what I said,” Hishammuddin added, defending his earlier statement on the stamping done on copies of the Malay language Bible.

“People want fair and reasonable action on both sides, and I believe (we) will come to a fair and reasonable solution.”

The stamping of a “For Christians Only” disclaimer and a serial number on each of the 5,100 copies of the Al Kitab impounded in Port Klang sparked a firestorm of protests from Christian groups, who accused the Home Ministry of “desecrating” the holy book.

NONE Hishammuddin later brushed aside their protests, saying that it was merely standard procedure and that there was too much nitpicking on the issue.

On a separate issue, the home minister took a swipe at DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang for claiming that members of the public do not believe the government’s announcement on reduced crime rates in the country.

Saying that Kit Siang “doesn’t represent the people”, Hishammuddin added that the senior opposition member seemed to be contradicting his own son and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

“Lim Kit Siang should consult his son Lim Guan Eng, who indicated on YouTube that the crime rate in Penang has gone down by 13.3 percent and he actually congratulated the police.

    

“I don’t need to answer more. Lim Kit Siang should only need to consult his son, because it’s true (that the) crime index has gone down and as a responsible chief minister, he congratulated the police.

“Whether the father wants to believe it or not, or wants to play politics, that’s his choice,” Hishammuddin said in response to a recent claim by the elder Lim that the people do not feel safe despite the government’s claims of a reduction in crime.