KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - A new Christian organization, called
Christians for Peace and Harmony Malaysia, will be launched on Tuesday, and the
presence of Prime Minister Najib Razak(photo) as guest-of-honor has led to
accusations that it is being used as a government tool.
However, its chairman, Rev Wong Kim Kong(photo) told Malaysian
Insider: “This is not true, Najib is not using us. We approached him to launch
our group and they (the government) have not funded us. And even if they were
to offer funding, we would not accept it.”- Rev Wong, a former secretary-general of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, said leaders and representatives of 230 churches in the Klang Valley were expected for the launch ceremonies, together with heads of the various religious groups.
- Among those who will attend is Ibrahim Ali, head of the Malay rights group Perkasa. However Wong reported to be disappointed with opposition politicians who all declined because of Najib’s presence. “We sent invitations to two top leaders of each party. But some have replied to say that they cannot participate in an event where Najib is the guest of honour. They have shown that they do not understand the objective of this, that we must come together. They also forget that he (Najib) is still the PM of the land,” the report quoted him as saying.
Wong said the idea of a new grouping arose from concerns
over the increasing tension over religion because of the ban on the use of the
word Allah in Bahasa Malaysia in a Catholic weekly, and the seizure of Bibles,
among other issues.
“Christians have been perceived to be against the government
and against Muslims. So these grassroots leaders came to me and said that it
was time to do something to pacify the situation,” said Wong, according to the
report.
He said Najib’s endorsement of the new grouping was
recognition “for us to work with not only Christians but with everyone” and
would help to overcome misgivings when reaching out to those from other
religions to work for peace and harmony.
Wong said problems could not be solved through confrontation
or consultation.
“Although I can understand why some are confrontational, in
the Malaysian context, the religious sensitivities do not permit us to solve
problems that way,” he was quoted as saying. Consultation, too, does not work
because we are suspicious of one another. The Muslims are suspicious of the
Christians and vice versa.”
“Although I can understand why some are confrontational, in
the Malaysian context, the religious sensitivities do not permit us to solve
problems that way,” he was quoted as saying. Consultation, too, does not work
because we are suspicious of one another. The Muslims are suspicious of the
Christians and vice versa.”
He said the new group “would do things differently” through
love, and act as catalysts for citizens to promote peace and harmony. “We won’t
only work with Christians but with everyone”, he said according to the report.
Source: Agency
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