MCA, MIC and Gerakan are a disgrace to their own community for blindly supporting and working with Selangor UMNO which spouts racial hatred against non-Malays and disparages the religious rights of non-Muslims. Even though Selangor UMNO have called off their threat to hold protests outside Catholic churches during prayers on Sundays, the Selangor UMNO Chairman had threatened mega-demonstrations by Malay groups aligned with UMNO.
For the first time,there will be demonstrations outside churches on Sunday when prayers are conducted. This deliberate heightening of tensions between different faiths by UMNO is a clear attempt to divert attention away from livelihood problems faced by the rakyat caused by BN’s price hikes in sugar, petrol, power and highway tolls causing a chain reaction of price hikes for other essential services. DAP condemns UMNO for playing such racial games and the component parties in MCA, MIC and Gerakan for condoning such acts by continuing to support UMNO.
UMNO must be made to realise that a majority of Malaysians are not amused by them playing the fires of religious hatred in using the “Allah” issue to pit Muslims and non-Muslims, Malays against non-Malays. In the last general elections a majority of Malaysians, including Malays and Muslims, defeated the BN in terms of popular vote for the first time by giving PR a majority 51% support.
It is gratifying to see the growing number of Malays and Muslims opposed to the unprecedented and abominable raid on January 2nd by the religious police of Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor(JAIS) of the Bible Society of Malaysia(BSM) and seizing 300 copies of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia and another 10 copies of the Bible in the Iban language as well as detaining two BSM leaders.
Where are the fundamental constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and the spirit of Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia when Islamic religious authorities can prosecute and act against non-Muslims? Worse Malaysians feel betrayed when the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyidin Yassin instead of playing the peacemaker chose to pour oil into the fire by sanctioning the right of Muslim groups to demonstrate outside churches on Sundays.
Whilst BN seeks to divide and split the unity of the people, ordinary Malaysians want to address our national problems together in a spirit of common national heritage and citizenry. DAP is confident that Malaysians will opt to choose for religious harmony and mutual respect as well as racial cohesion and co-existence over the disreputable demonstrations, discrimination and dichotomy of BN.