KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — Public institutions such as universities and the police should be fostering unity rather than organising events that foment religious strife, said a faith group critical of a seminar on the alleged threat of Christian proselytisation held at Universiti Teknologi Mara’s (UiTM) Malacca campus last Saturday.
Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) general secretary Reverend Dr Hermen Shastri today said his group was deeply troubled by the event as it was seemingly sanctioned by the authorities, noting that a police Special Branch officer had given the briefing.
"Amidst the challenge of religious polarization rampant in the country, it is sad that such activities continue with official sanction and support,” he said in a statement today.
"In a multireligious country like Malaysia, it would be expected that public authorities especially the universities and the police force would instead promote activities that foster interreligious harmony and not that which seem to create suspicion among the religious groups.”
He also highlighted the growing ubiquity of news that such seminars are being held at public universities, noting that UiTM had also organised a similar anti-Christianisation event in a different campus earlier this year.
Shastri questioned how the Education Ministry could allow such events to be held, or how it did not know about these if it did not provide approval.
"If such activities are continued, the churches fear that it may unwittingly promote a climate of radicalization of young Muslims who grow up on a diet of unfounded prejudice against other religious communities," the reverend said.
The seminar called “Threat of Christianisation movement” last Saturday was the second to be hosted by the university, after the “The word ‘Allah’ and Christology in the Malay Archipelago” seminar conducted at UiTM’s Shah Alam campus.
Opposition lawmaker such as DAP's Lim Kit Siang have called for the immediate sacking of Vice-Chancellor Tan Sri Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar following the news, calling him the worst example of a "Malaysian" for failing to uphold the spirit of the Rukunegara to promote inter-religious harmony.
Despite the outcry, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar defended today the police officer who spoke at the seminar, arguing that no law had been broken.
Shastri said his group will continue to register its protest at the numerous ways in "which the Christian community in the country is being maligned and treated with disrespect".
