The Huguan Siou, Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan today said that Christians in the country will continue to practise religious freedom despite attempts by certain quarters to restrict this.
He was speaking during the 18th Anniversary of the Keningau Diocese in Keningau. Recently, the Christian faith has come under attack from various irresponsible quarters out to create trouble.
Some of the issues were the detention of copies of the Malay-language Bible, confiscation of Christian CDs, attacks on churches, the illegal assembly which scared Christian worshippers outside a church, refusal to allow a Catholic newsletter a renewal of its printing licence, the refusal of a court of law to allow a Christian to officially be declared a Christian, threats of a crusade against Christians by a politician, false accusation that there are Christians who want to set up a Christian state and some others more.
It is hoped that Christians in the country especially in Sabah would not be disillussioned by these developments, but would take Pairin's words to continue practising their faith while praying for greater religious freedom in the state.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Kotobian Tadau Kaamatan
The North Borneo Herald wishes all its readers a very happy Harvest Festival. Kotobian Tadau Kaamatan!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Malayan Daily Let Off With Warning
A Malayan Malay-language daily, the Utusan Malaysia was today let off with a warning by the Home Ministry for publishing a seditious article recently.
In the front page report entitled Kristian Agama Rasmi? (Christianity As Official Religion?)the newspaper said that an internet blog had reported that the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Christian leaders had pledged to make Christianity the state religion in Malaysia.
However, no action was taken against the newspaper except for the warning letter. In fact so far none of the cabinet ministers from the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) has made press statements condemning Utusan Malaysia.
Instead Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has stated that Islam's position as the official religion cannot be changed. This gives the impression that the DAP had indeed conspired with Christian pastors.
And in a recent meeting with Christian leaders over the issue Najib offered no apology.
The fact is that there was no such pledge by the DAP, which itself is dominated by non-Christians. The pastors were in Penang just for a prayer meeting. Furthermore the newspapers claim was outrageous considering that Christians do not constitute a majority in Malaysia.
But a lenient action like the slap on the wrist for Utusan was expected. After all, in May 1990 Utusan pulished a front page report entitled Ku Li Junjung Salib (Tengku Razaleigh Carries the Cross). It was an attempt to destroy Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's reputation among his fellow Malay-Muslims. Tengku Razaleigh was at that time in the Opposition.
The fact is that the Tengku was just wearing a Sigah, a traditional Kadazandusun headgear which had four arrows pointing north, south, east and west and did not carry any religious connotation. In fact the then Prime Minister, Tun Dr.Mahathir too had on many occassions wore the same type of sigah.
Even then no action was taken against Utusan.
Compare this with the action taken against the Sarawakian daily, the Sarawak Tribune in 2006 which produced a caricature of religious prophet to show what has caused the protest against a Danish newspaper. The Sarawak Tribune was suspended and only recently was the suspension lifted.
So, here we have it, one standard for Utusan Malaysia and another standard for the rest.
In the front page report entitled Kristian Agama Rasmi? (Christianity As Official Religion?)the newspaper said that an internet blog had reported that the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Christian leaders had pledged to make Christianity the state religion in Malaysia.
However, no action was taken against the newspaper except for the warning letter. In fact so far none of the cabinet ministers from the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) has made press statements condemning Utusan Malaysia.
Instead Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has stated that Islam's position as the official religion cannot be changed. This gives the impression that the DAP had indeed conspired with Christian pastors.
And in a recent meeting with Christian leaders over the issue Najib offered no apology.
The fact is that there was no such pledge by the DAP, which itself is dominated by non-Christians. The pastors were in Penang just for a prayer meeting. Furthermore the newspapers claim was outrageous considering that Christians do not constitute a majority in Malaysia.
But a lenient action like the slap on the wrist for Utusan was expected. After all, in May 1990 Utusan pulished a front page report entitled Ku Li Junjung Salib (Tengku Razaleigh Carries the Cross). It was an attempt to destroy Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's reputation among his fellow Malay-Muslims. Tengku Razaleigh was at that time in the Opposition.
The fact is that the Tengku was just wearing a Sigah, a traditional Kadazandusun headgear which had four arrows pointing north, south, east and west and did not carry any religious connotation. In fact the then Prime Minister, Tun Dr.Mahathir too had on many occassions wore the same type of sigah.
Even then no action was taken against Utusan.
Compare this with the action taken against the Sarawakian daily, the Sarawak Tribune in 2006 which produced a caricature of religious prophet to show what has caused the protest against a Danish newspaper. The Sarawak Tribune was suspended and only recently was the suspension lifted.
So, here we have it, one standard for Utusan Malaysia and another standard for the rest.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Singing Praises For An Outsider
The stupidity of certain Sabahans is so appalling. Recently there was a debate between certain leaders from the ruling coalition in the state who argued on whether former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr.Mahathir Mohamad or former Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan was the one who failed Sabah.
As far as history proves it, Pairin led the wake up call to Sabahans to rise against the Malayan Dr.Mahathir. PBS was able to unite Sabahans of all ethnic and religious background by continuously winning election after election without support from Malaya.
Today however, we have Pantai Manis assemblyman Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail singing praises for Dr.Mahathir while at the same time running down Pairin by making accusations about mismanagement of state resources.
Pairin did not commit mass murders, state executions, detention of political opponents, outright discrimination of race and religion nor any of the evils usually committed by dictators.
And he was a true blue Sabahan. When Dr.Mahathir was prime minister Sabah suffered because Dr.Mahathir disliked Pairin.
So, if we have an outsider who discriminates against your state and a local who spearheads a struggle against this outsider, it would only be natural we support our local hero.
But here we have Rahim singing praises about Dr.Mahathir and criticising others who he says hurt the feelings of Malays and so on.
It shows us the level of thinking of our state assemblyman. If our assemblyman is so stupid, then what kind of a state are we living in.
By the way, would Rahim have defended Dr.Mahathir if the latter is a Christian. Or would he have criticised Pairin if Pairin is a born Muslim?
Rahim can consider contesting a Malayan state seat in the next election if he is so fond of Malayan leaders.
As far as history proves it, Pairin led the wake up call to Sabahans to rise against the Malayan Dr.Mahathir. PBS was able to unite Sabahans of all ethnic and religious background by continuously winning election after election without support from Malaya.
Today however, we have Pantai Manis assemblyman Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail singing praises for Dr.Mahathir while at the same time running down Pairin by making accusations about mismanagement of state resources.
Pairin did not commit mass murders, state executions, detention of political opponents, outright discrimination of race and religion nor any of the evils usually committed by dictators.
And he was a true blue Sabahan. When Dr.Mahathir was prime minister Sabah suffered because Dr.Mahathir disliked Pairin.
So, if we have an outsider who discriminates against your state and a local who spearheads a struggle against this outsider, it would only be natural we support our local hero.
But here we have Rahim singing praises about Dr.Mahathir and criticising others who he says hurt the feelings of Malays and so on.
It shows us the level of thinking of our state assemblyman. If our assemblyman is so stupid, then what kind of a state are we living in.
By the way, would Rahim have defended Dr.Mahathir if the latter is a Christian. Or would he have criticised Pairin if Pairin is a born Muslim?
Rahim can consider contesting a Malayan state seat in the next election if he is so fond of Malayan leaders.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
BN Wins Sarawak!
The Sarawak state elections ended with the Barisan Nasional (BN) winning 55 of the 71 seats in the state assembly. Of the 16 seats won by the opposition, 12 were won by the Democratic Action Party (DAP), 3 by the National Justice Party (PKR) and 1 by an independent.
BN's victory in Sarawak ended all talks of the United Malays National Organization's (UMNO) entry into Sarawak should BN lose. It was a sweet victory indeed for the Sarawak BN.
The North Borneo Herald wishes the Sarawak BN congratulations!
BN's victory in Sarawak ended all talks of the United Malays National Organization's (UMNO) entry into Sarawak should BN lose. It was a sweet victory indeed for the Sarawak BN.
The North Borneo Herald wishes the Sarawak BN congratulations!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
No Need For Pairin To Regret
he Huguan Siou Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan has expressed regret that his party the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) had pulled out of the Federal ruling coalition in 1990. His statement of regret was later praised by Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Going back to 1990, we should remember that despite having the backing of all the ethnic groups, PBS a member of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition was treated with suspicion. This is clear that even former prime minister Tun Dr.Mahathir Mohamad wrote in his memoir that visiting Sabah at that time was like visiting an opposition state. The Tun apparently forgot what Sabahans arriving in Malaya thought of Malaya at that time.
Even when PBS had pulled out of BN, the Tun remarked that it was for the best as PBS was like a thorn in the flesh. If any of you remembered well enough, TV Sabah which was on air since 1969 was pulled out of service in 1985. That was the same year PBS won the first election. Even after rejoining BN, the television station was never reinstated.
The Huguan Siou is probably the only Chief Minister at that time who was not appointed as chairman of the state security council by the Federal government.
In 1990 at a rally in Merdeka Padang, Pairin asked for the Federal government to give Sabah a university and a television station. The Tun who took to the podium after Pairin did not respond as positively to these demands.
And this was at a time when the Tun was about to face a do-or-die battle against Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, an opposition strongman who had just earlier been with the Tun in the same party.
PBS had won 36 of the 48 seats in Sabah. Now, with such a bleak future facing him, and with the PBS as a strong ally, the Tun still did not endear himself to PBS.
Therefore, it is only natural that PBS pulled out of BN. If it had pulled out of BN when the opposition won, it would truly be like a stab in the back. At least PBS pulled out earlier. This gave the pro-government side to paint Tengku Razaleigh as a Christian sympathiser. As a result, the Tun's party won.
There should be no reason for the Huguan Siou to regret. If he says he regretted his decision, the majority of Sabahans in 1994 had made the wrong decision. But no, PBS pulled out as a matter of principle. Sabahans regardless of race and religion backed PBS as a matter of principle.
Even the late Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun backed PBS. In fact he said that the Federal government was behaving like a colonialist.
We did what was right. Pairin did the right thing. Pairin pulling out of BN only showed Sabahans the true colour of Tun Dr.Mahathir. Utusan Malaysia, the Malayan newspaper owned by the Tun's party had no shame accusing the Tun's co-religionist as "Menjunjung Salib" (carrying the Christian cross).
This goes to show the great lengths the Tun would go to rule Sabah. In the period 1990-1999 the Project IC* issuance reached a frenzy. There were reports here and there of illegal immigrants lining up to get citizenship. Even the High Court in Kota Kinabalu ruled that one of BN's victory in the 1999 state elections was illegal as foreigners had voted.
So, Pairin pulling out exposed to us the true evil. Pairin as the Huguan Siou and four-time Chief Minister of Sabah need not regret. Neither do the people who believed in his struggle and voted for him.
Yes, Pairin fell in the end. But it was evident that he did not fall in a fair competition. His opponents had used dirty tactics against him.
PBS' struggle in the period 1990-2002 might have failed. But the struggle itself is not dead. It will resurface and only time will tell us when.
As for the Huguan Siou, the North Borneo Herald would like to say congratulations for pulling out of the BN for he exposed the devil.
*issuance of citizenship cards to illegal immigrants in Sabah
Going back to 1990, we should remember that despite having the backing of all the ethnic groups, PBS a member of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition was treated with suspicion. This is clear that even former prime minister Tun Dr.Mahathir Mohamad wrote in his memoir that visiting Sabah at that time was like visiting an opposition state. The Tun apparently forgot what Sabahans arriving in Malaya thought of Malaya at that time.
Even when PBS had pulled out of BN, the Tun remarked that it was for the best as PBS was like a thorn in the flesh. If any of you remembered well enough, TV Sabah which was on air since 1969 was pulled out of service in 1985. That was the same year PBS won the first election. Even after rejoining BN, the television station was never reinstated.
The Huguan Siou is probably the only Chief Minister at that time who was not appointed as chairman of the state security council by the Federal government.
In 1990 at a rally in Merdeka Padang, Pairin asked for the Federal government to give Sabah a university and a television station. The Tun who took to the podium after Pairin did not respond as positively to these demands.
And this was at a time when the Tun was about to face a do-or-die battle against Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, an opposition strongman who had just earlier been with the Tun in the same party.
PBS had won 36 of the 48 seats in Sabah. Now, with such a bleak future facing him, and with the PBS as a strong ally, the Tun still did not endear himself to PBS.
Therefore, it is only natural that PBS pulled out of BN. If it had pulled out of BN when the opposition won, it would truly be like a stab in the back. At least PBS pulled out earlier. This gave the pro-government side to paint Tengku Razaleigh as a Christian sympathiser. As a result, the Tun's party won.
There should be no reason for the Huguan Siou to regret. If he says he regretted his decision, the majority of Sabahans in 1994 had made the wrong decision. But no, PBS pulled out as a matter of principle. Sabahans regardless of race and religion backed PBS as a matter of principle.
Even the late Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun backed PBS. In fact he said that the Federal government was behaving like a colonialist.
We did what was right. Pairin did the right thing. Pairin pulling out of BN only showed Sabahans the true colour of Tun Dr.Mahathir. Utusan Malaysia, the Malayan newspaper owned by the Tun's party had no shame accusing the Tun's co-religionist as "Menjunjung Salib" (carrying the Christian cross).
This goes to show the great lengths the Tun would go to rule Sabah. In the period 1990-1999 the Project IC* issuance reached a frenzy. There were reports here and there of illegal immigrants lining up to get citizenship. Even the High Court in Kota Kinabalu ruled that one of BN's victory in the 1999 state elections was illegal as foreigners had voted.
So, Pairin pulling out exposed to us the true evil. Pairin as the Huguan Siou and four-time Chief Minister of Sabah need not regret. Neither do the people who believed in his struggle and voted for him.
Yes, Pairin fell in the end. But it was evident that he did not fall in a fair competition. His opponents had used dirty tactics against him.
PBS' struggle in the period 1990-2002 might have failed. But the struggle itself is not dead. It will resurface and only time will tell us when.
As for the Huguan Siou, the North Borneo Herald would like to say congratulations for pulling out of the BN for he exposed the devil.
*issuance of citizenship cards to illegal immigrants in Sabah
Friday, April 1, 2011
Sabahan Malay Version
North Borneo Herald has now included Sumunggup, a Sabahan Malay language version for those who prefer this lingua franca. Just go to sumunggup.blogspot.com
Friday, March 18, 2011
Federal Government Releases Bibles
The Malaysian Home Ministry has ordered the release of thousands of copies of the Christian Bible in the Malay Language that have been detained in ports in Sarawak and Malaya.
These Bibles were imported from Indonesia for the Malay-speaking Christian community in Malaysia, especially Sabahans and Sarawakians.
The Ministry's decision to release the Bibles is a wise one and should be lauded. However some Christians have protested that these Bibles have been stamped with the Home Ministry's serial number and seal. If this is done, then it should be applauded as it shows that the government endorses the use of the Malay Bible including the usage of the word "Allah" among Christians.
This move should also be carried on the religious texts of all other religions in Malaysia to avoid the spread of deviationist teachings.
These Bibles were imported from Indonesia for the Malay-speaking Christian community in Malaysia, especially Sabahans and Sarawakians.
The Ministry's decision to release the Bibles is a wise one and should be lauded. However some Christians have protested that these Bibles have been stamped with the Home Ministry's serial number and seal. If this is done, then it should be applauded as it shows that the government endorses the use of the Malay Bible including the usage of the word "Allah" among Christians.
This move should also be carried on the religious texts of all other religions in Malaysia to avoid the spread of deviationist teachings.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Of Sabahan Leaders And Sabahan Rights
Recently the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun-Murut Organization (UPKO) called for a royal commission to look into the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah.
In 2008, Lim Kit Siang of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) made a similar call in parliament but the North Borneo Herald does not recall any Sabahan leaders rallying behind Lim at that time. In fact, the parliament sitting at that time was chaired by none other than a Sabahan, Ronald Kiandee.
It brings to mind the thinking of Sabah politicians. If something right is being done for Sabah, should they reject it because the person doing it is not alligned to their party? And if something bad is going on in Sabah, should they be quiet because the person doing it is in alliance with them?
If this is the thinking of Sabahan leaders, then whatever left of Sabah's dignity would probably end up in the drain in ten years to come.
True leaders fight for their people and their rights, not just keep quiet for fear of offending those who violate these rights, as this is cowardice. The politicians can give a thousand excuses, but they will be judged by the people in the end.
For instance when Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president finally spoke on the "Allah" issue, many who read his comments had made up their minds about him.
In 2008, Lim Kit Siang of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) made a similar call in parliament but the North Borneo Herald does not recall any Sabahan leaders rallying behind Lim at that time. In fact, the parliament sitting at that time was chaired by none other than a Sabahan, Ronald Kiandee.
It brings to mind the thinking of Sabah politicians. If something right is being done for Sabah, should they reject it because the person doing it is not alligned to their party? And if something bad is going on in Sabah, should they be quiet because the person doing it is in alliance with them?
If this is the thinking of Sabahan leaders, then whatever left of Sabah's dignity would probably end up in the drain in ten years to come.
True leaders fight for their people and their rights, not just keep quiet for fear of offending those who violate these rights, as this is cowardice. The politicians can give a thousand excuses, but they will be judged by the people in the end.
For instance when Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president finally spoke on the "Allah" issue, many who read his comments had made up their minds about him.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Coal Plant Decision Reversed
The Federal Government has decided to scrap the coal power plant project in Lahad Datu. The Federal government should be congratulated for its bold decision in reversing its earlier decision.
As for those who supported the project, they must be the ones who had money to make from the project. Secondly, they could also be those who are ill-informed of the negative environmental impact of a coal power plant. This group could also be those who think that whatever power problems they have now is as a result of the absence of a coal plant. Obviously this group is illiterate or too oblivious of current happenings. As for the first group, their hopes of making money out of an environmental destruction has been dashed, fortunately.
It is an indeed a very brave decision by the government considering the hosts of businessmen and opportunists they would be disappointing.
The government certainly deserves an applause.
As for those who supported the project, they must be the ones who had money to make from the project. Secondly, they could also be those who are ill-informed of the negative environmental impact of a coal power plant. This group could also be those who think that whatever power problems they have now is as a result of the absence of a coal plant. Obviously this group is illiterate or too oblivious of current happenings. As for the first group, their hopes of making money out of an environmental destruction has been dashed, fortunately.
It is an indeed a very brave decision by the government considering the hosts of businessmen and opportunists they would be disappointing.
The government certainly deserves an applause.
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