KUCHING, Feb 27 — The Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) said today it would file a complaint to the state government and police on the rowdy behaviour of a crowd that heckled a priest at the courthouse after the Federal Court’s ruling on an apostasy case.
ACS president Datuk Justin Wan said “we all should agree to make a police report” as unruly behaviour had taken place both inside and outside the courthouse, after the Federal Court ruled this morning that the Sarawak Shariah Court had jurisdiction over a bid by four people — a Malay- Muslim and three Muslim converts — to be officially recognised as Christians.
“From the spiritual aspect and perspective, we are told by the Word of God that we are going to face trials and temptations. As a church we went through it today,” Justin said today.
He said ACS solicited prayers and understanding from member churches and members of the church to keep calm and not to make any unnecessary or unwanted comments on WhatsApp, Facebook or other social media.
“(But) we will also register and convey our shock, sadness and deepest displeasure regarding these incidents to Unifor (Unit For Other Religions) and the state government to invite them to look into the rowdy and unruly behaviour seriously that it will not happen again and take immediate actions against those who had ignited and initiated these unwanted incidents.”
A large crowd dressed in black T-shirts greeted the ruling this morning with shouting and rowdy behaviour. Roman Catholic Bishop Simon Peter Poh had to be escorted out to the Kuching High Complex carpark out of fear that he would be assaulted after he was heckled.
However, Poh was protected by other members of the crowds.
Justin said it was very regrettable that this rowdy and unruly behaviour “(perhaps imported from somewhere)” has transpired, transported and encroached into the shores of “our peace-loving people of Sarawak.”
He called on Christians to continue to pray for the four Sarawakian appellants in the case — Malay-born Sharifah Nooraffyzza binti Wan Hosen and Muslim converts Jenny Peter alias Nur Mudzdhalifah Abdullah, Mohd Syafiq Abdullah alias Tiong Choo Ting and Selina Jau alias Selina Jau Abdullah.
Justin also urged Christians to pray for “our brothers and sisters from the other faith that they may be calm too and come to the knowledge of Christ in the days to come.”
“Lastly, we will continue to pray for the stability and peace of our country and that God’s will be done,” he said.
In reading the apex court’s ruling, Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin had said that while there was no specific provision in the Sarawak Shariah Court Ordinance 2001 concerning conversions into and out of Islam, there were provisions under the Sarawak Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) Ordinance concerning such matters.
He said these existed under Sections 68, 69 and 70 of the MAIS Ordinance.
With the ruling, the applications by the four to become Christians would have to be heard in the Shariah Court.
