Media Statement by Wong Ho Leng in Sibu on Tuesday, 11^th May 2010:

SUPP and Robert Lau must ask the Prime Minister to unequivocally declare that Malaysia is not an Islamic state, and withdraw the appeal against the High Court decision permitting the use of the term “Allah” by Christians and release with immediate effect the 15,000 Al-Kitab confiscated by the Malaysian customs

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak will be having a meeting with Sarawak and Sibu Christian leaders on the coming Friday.

SUPP and Sibu by-elections candidate Robert Lau must make the Prime Minister answer 3 critical questions to prove that Barisan Nasional will protect sacrosanct principle of “freedom of religion” as enshrined in the Malaysian constitution and the 18-point agreement with Sarawak.

1. Datuk Seri Najib has declared on 17 July 2007 that Malaysia “is an Islamic state”. Robert Lau and SUPP must request that the Prime Minister during his meeting with the Christian leaders declare unequivocally that Malaysia is not an Islamic state, or “negara Islam”. The failure to do so will only demonstrate the hypocrisy of Robert Lau and SUPP by threatening the people of Sibu with an Islamic state if they were to vote DAP, when it is Barisan Nasional which declared Malaysia as one.

2. To demonstrate Barisan Nasional's sincerity and that SUPP has a backbone, the Malaysian government must immediately withdraw the Home Ministry appeal against the High Court decision which has overruled the ban by the Government on the use of the term “Allah”, especially by those of the Abrahamic faith. If PAS is able to declare that there is absolutely nothing in the Quran which forbids the use of the term, and has been steadfast in the rights to freedom of religion of non-Muslims, why is the Barisan Nasional, supported by SUPP playing the extremist role restricting the fundamental rights of non-Muslims?

3. SUPP and Robert Lau must, in the interest of Sarawak Christians demand that Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak immediately order the release the 15,000 Al-Kitabs confiscated by the Malaysian customs in 2009 and give an irrevocable guarantee by the Malaysian government that Al-Kitabs will never again be banned. The Malaysian government should also extend its apologies to the Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) Church to allow an amicable settlement of the legal suit between them.

Without these demands being met to the full satisfaction of the people of Sibu, SUPP and Robert Lau have no right to represent Sibu as they have demonstrated failure in protecting the interest of Sibu, Sarawakians and Malaysians, despite being a component party of Barisan Nasional.

Failure will also demonstrate SUPP's complete irrelevance in Malaysian politics as they act merely as stooges for the Barisan Nasional government led by UMNO in Peninsula and PBB in Sarawak.

Robert Lau must stop running away from these critical issues of national issues to be a worthy MP not only to the people of Sibu but to all Sarawakians and Malaysians.

* Wong Ho Leng DAP Sarawak Chairman & DAP Candidate for Sibu By-election