Call to burn Bible: Has PM forsaken the Christians?

The call by Malay rights group Perkasa for Muslims to burn the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible has stoked the ire of various quarters who question Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's inaction on the matter.

Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo said Najib could no longer remain silent on Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali's call, which the DAP leader deems "criminal in nature".

He went on to call on Najib to prove his sincerity in telling Christian Malaysians last month that the government has "not forgotten" them.

"I call upon Najib to use all the might at his command as prime minister of Malaysia, as prime minister for all Malaysians, to speak up and correct this most gravest of wrongs perpetuated against Christians and all Malaysians.

"Silence on part of the prime minister in these circumstances will smash into bits the concept of 1Malaysia advanced by none other than he himself, and prove his critics correct in saying that such (a concept) was merely a hollow sham that was purely politically-motivated," Gobind said in a statement yesterday.

His sentiment was echoed by Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS), which said the Pasir Mas MP has been permitted to go administering his "religious poison", uttering offensive and inflammatory words against Christians and that this was the "last straw".

"How can any Malaysian, let alone government leaders with the right sense of mind, continue to tolerate the likes of Ibrahim Ali and his Perkasa group?" MoCs leader Francis Paul Siah said in a statement.

"We are very disappointed with the prime minister for doing nothing about it. At times, we wonder whether Najib is the prime minister of Sarawak and Sabah as well or only of Malaya," Siah said.

Better for Sarawak to leave

Siah is so outraged by Ibrahim's attacks on the Christians - majority of whom live in the Borneo states - that he suggested Sarawak would be better off being independent.

"The list is too long to detail here but as it stands today, I cannot think of one good reason why Sarawak should remain in Malaysia," Siah (right in photo) said.

"We, Sarawakians, want no part in this heated quarrel over the Allah issue. The people of Sabah and Sarawak have no religious or racial problems and we don't wish to be contaminated with ‘religious poison' from bigots and ‘dangerous' politicians like Ibrahim Ali from Malaya."

MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok said Ibrahim's actions were unbecoming of an MP who is supposed to represent Malaysians of all races and religious beliefs, and was not reflective of BN's multiracial approach.

Ibrahim last Saturday urged Muslims to burn the Malay-language Bible for using ‘Allah' for ‘God', saying this was the "only way" to stop non-Muslims from stirring the sensitivities of Muslims in Malaysia.