Basal Jeremiah
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) has urged the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) State Government to state its stand over the PN-led Federal Government’s attempt to table the Control and Restriction on the Propagation of Non-Muslim Religions Bill which the party claims will transgress the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Warisan Penampang information chief Jeremiah Mayo Gitom said his party wants to know if the presidents of GRS component parties such as Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and Datuk Yong Teck Lee have full knowledge of PN’s intention before it was announced by the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary on Monday.
He said both Jeffrey and Yong sit in the PN Presidential Council together with PBS president Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Ongkili, so obviously, such sensitive issue should have been deliberated by all component parties prior to the announcement.
“Sabahans, particularly the Christian communities are deeply concerned and eager to know the gists of the Bill so we want the three presidents to come out in the open and tell us what is it all about for their continued silence will be construed as having knowledge of the Bill and given their mark of approval on the same,” Jeremiah said in a statement.
He said such concern is understandable since some Catholic dioceses and priests are currently broadcasting Live public streaming of their Mass Services through Facebook in Malay language.
“This Live public broadcasting is necessary to enable the Christian/Catholic communities to remain strong in their faith especially during this pandemic period so will such broadcasting be deemed to have contravened the main intention of the Bill?
“While Sabah enjoys great religious tolerance evidenced with churches and mosques being built side by side at Bukit Padang, this Bill can potentially change everything and small issues such as the said public broadcasting can be manipulated by extremists who may not even reside in Sabah.
“If there is any provision in the Bill that contravenes the freedom to profess our religious belief in Sabah as enshrined in MA63, then we want the Sabah PN and GRS leaders who sit as the Government of the Day to argue for our case now while this Bill is still in its infancy stage and not by merely debating and casting their disapproval votes at the final stage (MP voting process at Dewan Rakyat) or even commenting about it in the media,” he said.
Meanwhile, Warisan Keningau deputy chief Basal Bullah believed that if the announcement to table the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) – also known as Hudud Law and the Control and Restriction on the Propagation of Non-Muslim Religious Bill was made unilaterally by a PN component party, then as the current trustees of Sabah, STAR, PBS and SAPP should show its strong, affirmative principle.
He said the onus is upon the component party presidents of PN and GRS who have full access to the PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin to tell Sabahans and Sarawakians the details of both Bills to allay the concern held on their part on the proposed regulations which may affect the Non-Muslims religious beliefs.
“This issue extends beyond political affiliation or even religion because it affects one of Sabah’s and Sarawak’s special privileges that have been negotiated and agreed to by all signatories to the international treaty known as the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“If such announcement to table both Bills was made unilaterally, then STAR and PBS must emulate the exemplary action by DAP who decided to cut off ties with PAS that caused the collapse of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in 2015 due to the failure on the part of PAS President’s Hadi Awang to have prior discussions with PKR and DAP over his decision to implement Hudud Law in Kelantan.
“If DAP cut off ties with PAS because of mere political idealism, what more when it relates to the State’s special privileges especially when STAR and PBS both boast that MA63 is their priority,” said Basal.
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