And the Word was…stamped in red ink

By admin-s Last updated Dec 8, 2014

(The Rakyat Times) – Officials can just walk into any organisation and seize the materials merely because they are non-Muslim material.

Thirty bibles of the 321 seized from BSM by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) on Jan 2 and returned, have been stamped in red ink.

The words read “Strictly for non-Muslims only and shall not be published or used in any part of the state of Selangor pursuant to Section 9(1) Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment 1988.”

A livid BSM president Ng Moon Hing (above) has demanded an apology from the Selangor religious authorities for stamping the material that also restricted the distribution of the bibles in the state.

Ng described the actions as an act that was akin to “desecrating our holy scriptures.”

Selangor Menteri Besar, Azmin Ali, had yesterday said that the matter of the bible seizure should end and not be subjected to any further controversy.

However, according to experts and legal commentators, there are implications to the stamping of the Bahasa Malaysia and Iban bibles.

A lawyer, when contacted by Rakyat Times said that the action means the Selangor religious authorities has carte blanc to do anything to any material it deems to be a threat to Islam.

“You carry out a raid on premises. You take the literature that is in it. Then you seize it then return it with a caveat. That is tantamount to a curb in freedom of religion and expression,” said the lawyer who wanted anonymity.

‘No violation of laws’

Meanwhile, the Bar Council’s Human Rights Committee chair, Andrew Khoo (below) says that there are serious implications to the actions by the state religious authorities.

He said that it now means that the officials can just walk into any organisation and seize the materials merely because they are non-Muslim material.

Despite a decision by the Attorney General’s Chambers that the bibles did not break any laws or enactments, the stamping implies the state religious authorities believe the bibles contravened a state enactment that makes it an offence to proselytize no-Muslim beliefs among Muslim.

Speaking to online news portal, Khoo said “This is a position that contradicts the A-G’s own decision that the Bibles had not violated the enactment.”