Truth Please, NOT Distortions of Reality!
By Masterwordsmith
While writing this post, I took the liberty of calling up one pastor whom I know and asked him to make some clarifications. He confirmed he was there at the event which was attended by pastors, DAP members and other invited guests. He clarified that it was an ordinary meeting and at one point 10-12 pastors gathered to pray a prayer of blessing on four persons. The gathering was not organized to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia nor was it with a vow to have a Christian prime minister.
I could not believe my eyes when I read the following articles in various news portals:
1. Christian leaders condemn claims trying to usurp Islam where organisers of a Christian meeting in Penang denied today allegations from pro-Umno bloggers that they were conspiring with the DAP to supplant Islam’s position as the country’s official religion in a bid to take over Putrajaya.
2. Anwar dubs Utusan shameless ‘Umno tabloid’ for Christian Malaysia report where Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim accused Utusan Malaysia of lying and confusing the public in its report today claiming Christian leaders were conspiring with the DAP to abolish Islam as the country’s official religion in a bid to take over Putrajaya.The article said that in a hard-hitting statement posted on his blog today, Anwar accused the Umno-owned daily of spreading lies and slander, raising concerns that such an article could create further confusion among Malaysians.
3. Pembela asks police to probe Utusan’s Christian Malaysia report which said that the police should investigate Utusan Malaysia’s report that Christian leaders were conspiring with DAP to take over Putrajaya and abolish Islam as official religion, Muslim groups said today. According to the article, the Muslim Organisation in Defence of Islam (Pembela) said an immediate investigation was needed to determine the validity of the news article.
4. Pembela blames ‘aggressive Christians’ for Muslim siege mentality which said that the Muslim Organisations in Defence of Islam (Pembela) accused Christians of strategising an elaborate plan to ensure that more and more Muslims leave the faith, which is illegal in Malaysia.
Pembela president Dr Yusri Mohamad said the Christian community’s demands over the “Allah” issue as well as the Alkitab row proved that they wanted to convince Muslims to embrace Christianity and abandon Islam.
5. ‘Everlasting peace’ only under Malay rule, says Perkasa where right-wing group Perkasa declared today that Malaysia can only have peace and political stability under a Malay-majority government. Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali told non-Malays today to stop questioning Malay rights, saying it would only make the country’s dominant majority threatened.
6. A response to ‘Making Christianity the official religion’ — Organisers of the Unashamedly Ethical Conference, Penang where the writer said that he Christian community in Penang is disturbed by unwarranted and unsupported claims and allegations as contained in the write-up “Making Christianity the official religion” in the blog “The Thirteen Million plus Ringgit Guy Ramble ….”
While it is true that several Christians and pastors gathered together at a hotel in Macalister Road for dinner, the gathering was never with the intention to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia nor was it with a vow to have a Christian prime minister.
7. KDN pandang serius usaha jadikan Kristian agama rasmi di mana dilaporkan bahawa Kementerian Dalam Negeri memandang serius pertemuan paderi dari seluruh negara yang dikatakan membincangkan agenda menjadikan Kristian sebagai agama rasmi negara selain melantik Perdana Menteri di kalangan penganut agama itu. Mengikut laporan itu, menterinya, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein berkata, beliau turut terkejut dan sedih dengan pendedahan terbabit kerana dikhuatiri boleh mencetuskan ketegangan serta perbalahan antara kaum khususnya penganut Kristian di negara ini.
8. Hisham: Agenda To Make Christianity Official Religion A Serious Matter where Bernama reported that Home Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has described as serious a purported meeting of pastors in Penang allegedly to discuss making Christianity the official religion of the federation. I hope the Minister will get to the bottom of this case and nib the problem in the bud before it worsens further.
To me, it is a storm brewing in a tea-cup all because of that ONE article in Utusan Malaysia.
There have been far too many incidents whereby certain reports in that portal triggered negative reactions from various groups in our society.
A journalist has a very heavy responsibility to tell the truth and NOT distort reality. At all times, a journalist should observe and uphold journalistic principles, ethics and guidelines (which you can see OVER HERE. In doing so, the writer or the MSM must take pains to ensure that any article does not hit out at the beliefs, ideals and rituals of any religion or group so that he/she can maintain harmony in society.
According to THIS REPORT, Utusan had carried out a front-page article today titled “Malaysia, a Christian country?” (Malaysia, negara Kristian?), based entirely on blog postings by several pro-Umno bloggers. The report said that the bloggers had charged the DAP of sedition for trying to change the country’s laws to enable a Christian to be prime minister, pointing to a grainy photograph showing what they described to be a secret pact between the DAP and pastors at a hotel in Penang on Wednesday.
