KOTA KINABALU: As we approach the 58th Malaysia Day, it is an opportunity for all Malaysians to celebrate 58 year of our nationhood as the Federal of Malaysia. We rejoice that fundamental tenets in the Federal Constitution have held us together in harmony,
mutual respect and prosperity.
It is the spirit of the Federal Constitution, when adhered to, that brought us harmonious and peaceful living in this nation. The 1962 Report of the Cobbold Commission, which included members from Malaya, reflected the spirit in which the Federal Constitution is embedded, in their Recommendations on the topic of Religion, said as follows:
“Taking these points fully into consideration, we are agreed that Islam should be the national religion for the Federation. We are satisfied that the proposal in no way jeopardises freedom of religion in the Federation, which in effect would be secular.”
This solemn promise guaranteeing freedom of religion has also been enshrined in
the Keningau Batu Sumpah. Without this foundation, the Federation of Malaysia
would not have existed in the first place, nor would it long endure. It is therefore
the sacred duty of all members of the Federal Government, regardless of their
individual religious beliefs, to uphold this historical guarantee.
However, a recent statement made by the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department (religious affairs) on 7th September 2021 was widely reported in the
news, revealed that the government is planning to draft various new laws,
including one to restrict the development of non-Muslim religions.
The Sabah Council of Churches is deeply saddened by such statement which
was ironically released before Malaysians celebrate Malaysia Day 2021. We view
such development with grave concern.
The Federal Constitution, which is the supreme law of Malaysia, guarantees the
complete freedom of religion for all. Any restrictions, in whatever form, to limit the
propagation of any faiths would be in total contradiction of the spirit of religious
freedom.
Religious freedom means all persons can freely exercise their right to freedom of
religion and belief without interference by the state including the right to change
one’s religion. Any form of control by the state whether overtly or through backdoor
means would fall short of the religious freedom guaranteed to the people of Sabah
and Sarawak at the formation of Malaysia.
We are immensely grateful to the various leaders of Sabah, including the Chief
Minister YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, for expressing their strong objections
to such a plan, and their commitment to defending the religious freedom and ethnic
harmony in Sabah.
The reality today is that Malaysians are witnessing extreme religious actors and
religious bureaucracy pushing for the erosion of the secularity of Malaysia and
severely weakening the protection of Malaysians fundamental liberty of complete
religious freedom. The erosion of fundamental religious liberty towards a more
fundamentalist religious ideology compromising the constitutional supremacy is a
grave concern. This direction is in complete contravention of the Malaysia
Agreement 1963.
In the past year and a half, Malaysia has experienced unprecedented political
turmoil and an unprecedented global Covid-19 pandemic. All races and followers of
all religions in Sabah, like our brothers and sisters in Malaya and Sarawak, have
shed too many tears and suffered too much hardship.
Yet, by the grace of God, we have been spared from any ethnic or religious strife
and civil unrest in Malaysia. This is a shining testimony to the resilience and
harmony of the “Malaysian Family”, built on the foundation of mutual respect,
tolerance and kinship.
On the eve of this challenging Malaysia Day, we urge our national leaders to
continue to cherish our common destiny, not to emphasize our differences; to bring
hope and to guide Malaysia out of the pandemic, not to plant the seeds of division
and hatred, and to direct significant focus and importance to address the many
issues causing the suffering of the rakyat, for the sake of the well-being of all
Malaysians and the future of the Federation.-
May the peace and love of our Almighty God be upon the peoples of Malaysia.
“Selamat Hari Malaysia” God bless Malaysia.
REV. DATUK IR JERRY DUSING
President, Sabah Council of Churches
