The Higher Education Ministry must convene an urgent meeting with all local universities in light of the second anti-Christianisation seminar organised by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) last Saturday, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang says.

Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh should be calling for the meeting in order to prevent the institutions from becoming future breeding ground for inter-religious misunderstandings, Lim said in a statement today.

“Idris should impress on all vice-chancellors the importance of local universities setting an example in our nation by upholding the core values and principles of Rukunegara.

“Seminars on anti-Christianisation, or against any other religion, should be taboo in our universities, which should be taking pro-active measures to promote inter-religious understanding, goodwill and harmony,” he said.

While noting that UiTM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar’s term is set to end on Dec 31 and it is unlikely action would be taken against him, Lim said the university must give an assurance that it would not organise a third anti-Christianisation seminar, or any conference that is anti-religion, in its campus.

A picture from the seminar held at UiTM’s Lendu campus in Malacca shows a slide presentation with the title 'Ancaman Gerakan Pemurtadan Kristianisasi' (Threat of the Christian Proselytisation Movement).

'Materials presented could provoke'

Malacca UiTM corporate communications chief Siti Najah Raihan Sakrani was reported as saying that non-Muslim students were exempted from attending the seminar to avoid creating a controversy or allegations of attempted conversion into Islam.

This is the second time UiTM has hosted an anti-Christianisation seminar, which it said was aimed at strengthening the faith of Muslims.

However, several Christian groups said in response that materials presented during the seminar could potentially provoke anti-Christian sentiments among the participants.

A student participant of the compulsory seminar told Malaysiakini on condition of anonymity that some of the issues discussed included the use of 'Allah' in the Bible, the pope, Christians in Indonesia and the Crusades.

The participant also said that the speaker told them that Christians are trying to convert Muslims by using the 3Gs - gold, glory and gospel.

A similar seminar was held last year at the UiTM Shah Alam campus, titled “The word ‘Allah’ and Christology in the Malay Archipelago”.