A pastor with the Penang Georgetown Baptist Church has exhorted Christians to partake in active politics, saying that the teachings of the church do not forbid believers from contributing positively towards the political system of a nation.

Pastor Chuah Tong Ik told his parishioners at a recent talk in Penang to take a deeper interest in politics because the political arena is also a route towards salvation.

"We all know that salvation leads to transformation and being active in politics, and having the power to do good to others, is a way of enabling salvation to reach more people."

"Mao Ze Dong said that "Politics is war without bloodshed". That is true. So Christians are not doing evil to others by being active in politics," Chuah said.

'Passive' Christians

The pastor also had the audience in stitches as he interspersed his serious subject by taking jabs at politicians such as this one, "Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers".

He lamented that Christians are often "passive" because they are too comfortable and do not feel the need to enter politics.

In many cases, it was the bad image of politicians who have kept people away from getting involved, he added.

"There is a perception that there is no political party worth its salt for us. It seems we are waiting for the right political party to come along but there will never be one," he quipped.

Chuah then posed a teaser, "Is Jesus a politician?".

He said Jesus did not lead a war, He neither had a party nor a manifesto. He did not lobby and get people to enthrone Him but He lived among the community and challenged the values of the status quo in His time.

"We need to take an interest and to get started, we must be aware of our rights. We must also be strong enough to take a stand. Love must be tough, not only tender," the pastor added.

Accept good politicians

Chua, who admitted that he is a life member of "a political party, encouraged his parishioners to "get registered and vote" come the next general election.

However, he warned against the church being partisan, saying that "we must be ready to accept politicians from any political party who aim to do good for society".

Meanwhile, two Opposition politicians were invited that morning to speak about their experiences and why they chose to get involved in politics.

Keadilan state legal bureau chief Jason Ong Khan Lee said he got involved because politics was "a calling", just as he was called to be a lawyer rather than a businessman.

His calling, Ong said, was to "fight for the poor and those who were oppressed by the strong".

He said he had observed the country's situation for sometime, prayed about it and came to a conclusion that justice and politics could never be separated.

"As individuals, we are limited in many aspects. Therefore, we need to join a party with the right policies and struggle together as a team."

Ong, whose family members were in MCA and Gerakan, said he had always referred to the Bible when attempting to integrate his life as a Christian and politician.

"We must never condone injustice. We must always put ourselves in the shoes of Jesus Christ and ask ourselves "what would Jesus do?"" he said.

"Jesus was a politician in his own way. He led the way to reform, He wanted to change things and set it right," Ong added.

Love and compassion

Penang DAP leader and Tanjung member of Parliament Chow Kon Yeow who also addressed the gathering said he became a politician due to his personal convictions to bring changes to society and to build a better world.

"As there are not many people who are willing to do this work, I would have to stay on," he said.

Chow added that he integrated his work as politician with his life as a Christian by showing "love and compassion for his constituents".

"We need to be truthful, humble and generous and not get involved in politics for personal glorification," he said.

"Let God be the focus rather than self. People expect a Christian politician to be different from others," he added.

Asked for his final word of advice to fellow Christians, Chow warned that the establishment of an Islamic state in Malaysia was a real possibility.

"This is not just a political manoeuver. The reality is that if we do not do anything come the next elections, we will be moving towards that".