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Media Statement
by Ngeh Koo Ham
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(Perak, Wednesday): The Malaysian Government is urged to take immediate action against the group of armed men wearing masks and robes who broke into the Sky Kingdom commune at Besut, Trengganu at dawn on 18/7/2005 (Monday) tossing petrol bombs, setting tyres ablaze at several of its structures and vehicles.

The crimes committed by this group of armed men are heinous and sinful and they must be brought to justice. Whatever reservation and disagreement we may have with the teachings of Arifin Mohamad (more popularly known Ayah Pin), the actions of this group of armed men can never be justified.

Even if the teachings of Ayah Pin are wrong, the wrongful acts of this armed group of men are more heinous, sinful and unacceptable.

Everyone must respect the right to freedom of religion and conscience. One may only influence another by education and persuasion but never by force.

This group of armed men must be punished for the following reasons:-

1. For taking the law into their own hands.

2. For contempt of court and interfering with course of justice as there is a pending action in court to decide whether the relevant authorities are allowed to carry out the demolition of the structures at the Sky Kingdom.

3. They have committed various crimes like rioting, causing damage to properties, arson etc under our Penal Code.

4. They have violated the freedom of religion guaranteed by our Federal Constitution.

If the Government do not act against these attackers, it is sending a message to the public that it is justified to persecute those whom we consider as cult followers. We will be doing exactly what the earlier majority did to the followers of Christianity and Islam when both the religious were in their infancy.

The announcement by the Perak Policy Chief, Deputy Commissioner, Datuk Zainal Mohd Tahir yesterday that the 46-year-old police officer who is a follower of Ayah Pin’s teachings will be suspended is most alarming. Unless he has been guilty under any existing Federal Law which the police force is subjected to, the Government will be guilty of religious persecution it he is being suspended because to his religious belief.

I verily believe that the group of armed men believed to be muslims (from their dressing) have acted with such religious bigotry because of their lack of exposure to other religious teachings. The existing Government policy prohibiting the Malaysian Muslims from being exposed to other religious teachings other than the Sunni Shafii sect is to blame for such narrow religious outlook. I urged the Malaysian Government to review the existing rules curtailing the religious freedom of Malaysian Muslims.

(20/7/2005)

* Ngeh Koo Ham, ADUN For Setiawan and DAP Deputy Secretary General