By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
April 10, 2011
The Perkasa chief accused Christians of exploiting sensitive issues ahead of the Sarawak elections.
KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — Christians should be wary of making unreasonable demands such as asking that bibles be printed in Bahasa Malaysia, Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali said today.
The Malay rights group president said that Malays have been patient for “far too long” and have allowed non-Malays to make excessive demands.
“How many Malays are Christian? Why do you have to have bibles in Bahasa? Why not use bahasa Iban, or Kadazan?
“This is a problem of national security ... we (Malays) have been far too giving, I want to remind them to not be excessive in their demands,” said Ibrahim.
“They are not the majority of the country,” he stressed.
The Pasir Mas MP said that the reason why the Christian community were making demands now was because Sarawak elections were underway.
“They are taking advantage of the elections, they raise these things and we cannot object ... they are trying to exploit sensitive issues,” added Ibrahim.
“We have not brought up the issue of our rights,” he said.
Christian groups have been locked in a dispute with the government over the usage of Malay language bibles, or Alkitab, and over the 35,000 new copies that have been impounded in Kuching and Port Klang by the home ministry.
The ministry then allowed the bibles to be released on condition of being stamped with serial numbers and the phrase “For Christians only”. Christian groups had initially refused to abide by these conditions and have not collected the copies.
The Najib administration said yesterday that the Malay bible importers have now agreed to collect the 35,000 copies impounded in Port Klang and Kuching.
However, the importers of the books in Port Klang have said the bibles will not be sold or distributed, but will be preserved as museum pieces to illustrate what Christians have called the “defacement” of their holy book.
Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam said the 10-point solution proposed last week had “paved the way” for the importers, Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and The Gideons, to collect the books.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein himself had also been quoted as saying that the latest move was a “positive response” to the Cabinet’s collective decision in drawing up the 10-point solution.
----------------------------
this is answer from one sabahan...
i
Datuk Ibrahim: "How many Malays are Christian? Why... do you have to have bibles in Bahasa? Why not use bahasa Iban, or Kadazan?"
I seriously find this very, very insulting.
ii
I'm a muslim Kadazandusun, and have a very strong faith in my religion. But speaking on behalf of my Christian cousins i.e whom I grew up with (some of them) in the very same household: let me tell you Datuk Ibrahim WHY.
iii
When Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya formed Malaysia in 1963, the process of 'Malaysianisation' has agressively taken its course. What the ultimate aim is? Untuk membentuk satu identiti sepunya, sesuai dengan status sebuah negara bersatu.
Maka terbentuklah dasar pendidikan dan kebudayaan kebangsaan untuk ditaati seluruh penduduk Malaysia. Most of these policies are heavily Malay-centric; but we the indigenous people of Borneo never complained. Kerana kami setia kepada semangat konsensus Malaysia.
Life is about give and take. Terutama dalam konteks membentuk satu negara daripada pelbagai entiti asal. We, the Sabahans, always know when to take and when we should give.
iv
When I came for my first-degree graduation at University Malaya in August 1994, I was only allowed to dress either in lounge suit or baju kebangsaan. I can’t wear my traditional Kadazandusun costume because apparently it does not fit the definition of baju kebangsaan.
Did I complain? NO.
When I started my primary school at SK Kundasang in 1977, I was made to learn everything in Bahasa. Kenapa Bahasa? Sebab itulah medium pengantar pendidikan yang diiktiraf sebagai Bahasa Kebangsaan di Malaysia. Saya lahir dan membesar dalam keluarga yang hanya bercakap Dusun di rumah. My command of Bahasa was extremely limited. So imagine how difficult my life was at school, then.
Did I complain? NO.
v
Now, let get into the real deal.
The system has changed me forever. Dusun used to be the language I had the highest proficiency. Now, my Bahasa is much better than my Dusun.
Proses pendidikan yang dilalui (natijah pembentukan Dasar Kebangsaan), telah memberi satu orientasi baru kepada naluri linguistik saya. Kini saya, secara natural, lebih efektif berfikir dan berkomunikasi dalam Bahasa.
Fenomena ini bukan unik untuk saya sahaja. Tetapi situasi yang sama turut dialami oleh majoriti masyarakat pribumi Sabah/Sarawak. We still use our own native languages. Tetapi lebih menjurus kepada konteks informal: misalnya dalam perbualan kasual. Untuk konteks persuratan, Bahasa Melayu lebih lazim digunakan.
Why? Because that is the formal process we all have been put into, and get used to it. Pada setiap peringkat pendidikan: primari, sekunderi dan tertiari. So, why should we get punished for using Bahasa?
vi
We, the Sabahan/Sarawakian indigenous should be applauded for accepting Bahasa Melayu as the national language. Kami terima dengan penuh rela bila ia diangkat sebagai bahasa pengantar untuk semua tingkat pendidikan di Malaysia.
The Sabahan and Sarawakian natives have lived here (the land we call Malaysia in this modern time) probably much longer than the existence of the Malay ancient kingdoms (Malacca, Langkasuka, etc). So by right, we could have demanded our Kadazandusun/Iban/Bajau/Melanau to be endorsed as one of the official languages of Malaysia.
But we didn’t. We chose not to.
vii
Why? Because we are naturally nice, reasonable and tolerant people. We know how to compromise.
Negara bangsa yang kuat tidak boleh dibina kalau semua orang mahu menang dalam hal mempertuankan kebudayaan masing-masing. Mesti ada pihak yang mengalah. Jika semua etnik mau bahasa sukunya diadun ke dalam dasar kebangsaan, sampai bila-bila pun kita tidak boleh membentuk satu identiti sepunya yang dapat mengikat seluruh warga Malaysia.
Sabahans/Sarawakians have compromised so much. Tidak kan soal agama dan kepercayaan pun, mereka harus juga mengalah? Apa guna gagasan Malaysia sebagai milik sepunya Sabah/Sarawak/Tanah Melayu, jika tiada give and take?
---------------
well,how was it?
For me personally I feel hurt and feels something is really wrong with this Datuk (sorry to say).And,This Sabahan here actually covers most (and lebih)of the things I wanna say back to this Datuk.
thus,I just copy paste jer...
minta izin to publish this issue here in my blog because I think it is worth sharing.(if anyone find it too politictly inappropriate or it touch any sensitivity anywhere,I am soo sorry.)
