Sabah native Christians continue to ‘mamangkis’

By admin-s On May 19, 2014

(The Ant Daily) – Sabah Christians have in the past few months expressed grave concern over attempts to convert some members of their flock to Islam, alleging that such efforts by certain groups have accelerated of late.

PITAS, Sabah: A group of Christians drawn mainly from the Rungus indigenous tribe had a gathering here in the Kudat peninsula of Sabah, close to the northern “Tip of Borneo”, to “mamangkis”, pleading for the intervention of God to see that the injustice their people have suffered would be put right.

Mamangkis is a war cry of local natives used by their pagan ancestors to rally warriors for battle against the enemy. Now it has been adopted as a Christian clarion call for revival.

This event is the fourth of a series of such gatherings organised by Perpaduan Anak Negeri (PAN) Sabah, or the Native Solidarity of Sabah, since its formation last Christmas in Penampang.

The organisers have told theantdaily that Rev Jensey Mojuin, president of the Protestant Church of Sabah (PCS), who graced the latest gathering on April 12, consecrated a stone altar in commemoration of the occasion.

Sabah Christians have in the past few months expressed grave concern over attempts to convert some members of their flock to Islam, alleging that such efforts by certain groups have accelerated of late.

One such attempt involved a group of 64 people, including children, from three villages in the remote parts of Pitas district – Kampung Layung Maliau, Dowokon and Sosop – who were said to be tricked into converting to Islam.

The report alleged that a neighbour told them “some people from Kuala Lumpur” were offering them “financial assistance” of RM800 but only if they went to Pitas to collect it.

They did so on New Year’s Day. Instead of receiving the financial assistance at the Pitas town hall, they claimed they were directed to a nearby mosque instead.

There, the villagers were given RM100 and asked to put their thumbprint on a document. They were then told to stand in a line and recite some “foreign words”.

According to the report, the villagers claimed they only realised they were converted when some of them brought home the document and showed it to their church leaders.

Speaking at the mamangkis gathering in Pitas, Jensey said, “Today, as we mamangkis, we plead to our Almighty God to intervene in the injustices that have been committed to our people, the Anak Negeri in Sabah.”

He said religious extremists had used fraudulent means to deceive “our innocent and illiterate brothers and sisters in Pitas” to unwittingly convert them to Islam. The head of PCS said that despite police reports being made, no concrete action had so far been taken.

“This unjust and fraudulent action has threatened the peace and religious harmony which have been enjoyed for so long in Sabah,” he declared.

“In Islam, a person wishing to convert into the religion must do so with the full knowledge and on his or her own free will. The so-called mass conversions by deception are, therefore, illegal.”

He demanded that these mass conversions by fraudulent means be nullified by the authorities without further delay.

According to Jensey, those involved had taken advantage of the group of illiterate and extremely poor, tricking them to think that they were bringing welfare aid from the government.

“Some accepted the so-called welfare aid and were asked to sign a document. This is a trick. This document is now used against you as so-called proof that you have agreed to become Muslims,” he told the gathering, among whom are those who have been tricked.

Inhabitants of Pitas district are among the poorest in the nation. They are mostly left alone to fend for themselves at subsistence level without any government assistance and support.

The second mamangkis gathering was in Ranau, followed by another at Nabawan in the interior region of Sabah, on Feb 22, attended by Catholic Bishop Datuk Cornelius Piong of Keningau, who expressed his disappointment with elected political leaders.