Bibles confiscated

This news item appeared in the Star of 5 February 2008.

'Fu: Seized Bible copies returned to owner

PUTRAJAYA: Copies of the Bible taken from a woman at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal recently have been returned to her, Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said.

He said the that English Bible was confiscated by a Customs officer from the woman who had just returned from a visit to Manila.

He said it did not involve the ministry.

“The Customs officer has no authority to do so and on being told of the matter, we asked the Bible to be returned immediately to the person,” he said.

Fu said the incident should not have taken place, adding that he had clarified the matter with the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM).

He said the address of the person was taken but no telephone number was noted down and as a result, the ministry had to wait for the person to call to collect the books.

He was responding to a statement by the CCM secretary-general Rev Dr Hermen Shastri that a Malaysian Christian had her Bibles taken away by Customs at the airport.

Shastri said that the unilateral actions of certain government agencies were undermining the Government’s stated claims of protecting religious freedom in the country.

Last month, Fu ordered Christian children’s books with drawings of prophets to be returned to a bookshop in Kuala Lumpur after the books were seized by a unit in the ministry.'

What is happening? This is not the first time an incident like this occurred. Does the seizure of religious books by the Malaysian authorities mean non-Muslims cannot practice their religion anymore? Does everyone have to be Muslims? Even that route would be the version approved by the religious department. Are we turning into another Saudi Arabia? The only country I know where every citizen must be Muslim and practicing their approved version of the religion. Frightening thought. No wonder more and more Malaysians are leaving the country including the Muslims.