Bishop says Najib's remarks on Christians puzzling
Swipenter: This has been always like that in Umno's version of Islam. The onus to prove one's sincerity and goodwill, and inevitably it always falls on the laps of non-Muslims, not just Christians.
The underlying assumption by Umno is that non-Muslims are not sincere and come with false pretenses when reaching out to Muslims for a dialogue always wanting to undermine Islam and its status in the country.
Gerard Samuel Vijayan: Bishop Paul Tan has said everything that needs to be said. The Christians will decide come GE13. We have always respected the status of Islam in this country and we have no intention to take over the leadership of a nation that is 60 percent Muslim given that we are a paltry 10 percent of the population.
It is shocking that PM Najib Razak doubts the loyalty of Christians to the constitution and the existing political system that we have. On the contrary, it is Umno and the Utusan Malaysia that has betrayed the trust of Christians by vilifying and demonising us to the Muslims.
In the 54 years since Independence and even before, the Christians have been in the forefront of education, hospitals and social services in this country and we have never discriminated against Muslims, but now we are discriminated against for our beliefs and our freedom to practise our faith is being curtailed.
The Christians intend to return this compliment come GE13 and neither the Holy See or the Pope are going to stop us.
Jeremy Ng: Great comments, Bishop Paul Tan. True to your faith in showing your sincerity unlike the government's spins and manipulation.
To me, the Vatican visit has ulterior motive to gain votes from the Malaysian Christians. And Najib realised that it's not working. As such, he has to show his 'muscle' in order to gain Muslim support. This is another spin job by our so-called 1Malaysia PM.
Cannon: It's our shame that as a nation, we have a low character for a prime minister. The man appeals to high ideals and projects himself to be a moderate leader before the world, yet behaves and does the opposite, catering to the base instincts and engaging in gutter politics to fish for votes.
His visit to the Vatican does not endear Christians to his regime for they know his trip is politically motivated, as with all things that he does. He and the regime he represents is without credibility and without principles - and deserves to be rejected.
Ramachandran Muniandy: If Muslims respect other religion, Islam too will be respected. But by keeping people like Ibrahim Ali, Utusan Malaysia and the Perak mufti, how and what you expect from the non-Muslims?
However, we don't need your advice, we always give the due respect to the real Muslims, but not Umno Muslims.
Freemsia: Want to know why PM Najib said that? Well, I think it is because he fears the many rural Malay folks (aka Umno's vote bank) will look at Najib's visit as somehow kow-towing to the Christians in an attempt to play down the simmering Allah issue.
So, after seemingly making the Malaysian Christians 'happy', he made this remark to make sure the predominantly Muslim Malay folks in the rural areas are still fully behind Umno.
PenangGuy: Come on, Prime Minister of 1Malaysia - if we Christians, or followers of any other religion for that matter, have not shown respect to Islam, we would have gone to you to complain about the early morning wake-up calls we get from the mosque or surau nearby our homes.
We would have made numerous police reports about the haphazard parking of vehicles near mosques and suraus on Fridays. We, non-Muslim Malaysians, have been respectful of the fact that Islam is the official religion of Malaysia and we have never made any fuss over that fact.
And for you to make that remark to Christians "that if they respect us, we will also respect them" shortly after your visit to the Vatican, I think is really "puzzling - even painful" - using the words by Bishop Paul Tan, which we wholeheartedly agree with.
Shame on you, Mr Prime Minister.
Ipoh2: PM went to meet the Pope and spoke meekly like a sheep, agreeing to all the advice given, but when he came back, he behaved like a wolf, threatening the Christians yet again.
Bishop Paul Tan has bravely spoken up for the Christians against Najib's double standard in judging the sincerity of the Christians.
Archbishop Murphy Pakiam should be ashamed of himself, having visited the Vatican with Najib and now saying nothing.
Lin Wenquan: I may be wrong but apparently his visits to Britain and the Vatican were disasters in as far as his not achieving the desired results he anticipated.
The Queen's choice of the offensive yellow colour was too much for him to stomach. He might have been ticked off diplomatically by the Pope for the anguish and unwarranted attacks his flock has been subject to.
His pointed remark to the Christians, (as if they have been disrespectful to the Muslims all this while), betrays his inner psyche to avenge the brush-off he experienced. It may also be a preemptive move to placate the likes of Ibrahim Ali and Utusanbefore they train their guns on him and accuse him of being accommodative to the Christians after meeting the Pope.
Either way, he is a desperate man.
SickNegara: Dear Bishop Paul Tan, I pray that you continue to speak up to correct the mistakes and arrogance of our leaders.
Only highly respected, credible, intelligent, righteous and God-chosen leaders like you are able to counter the high handedness of the power-that-be. Malaysians of all faith thank God for you.
Disbeliever: There is much that the PM can learn from you, Your Lordship. I've been following your comments which appear inMalaysiakini from time to time, and I must say that your comments reflect maturity, rational and much thought.
I have high respect for you as a man of God and I pray for your continuous good health and that God will always protect you and bless you to carry out your mission on Earth.
Nik V: Well said, Bishop Paul. It is also time that true Muslims from all walks of life stepped up against these pseudo-Muslim leaders who have taken more for themselves from the very people and religion they claim to defend.
They are pitting Malaysian against Malaysian in the name of their religion and race, and spewing racial innuendos at every turn in order to divide Malaysians while pretending to be for a '1Malaysia', whatever that means.
I salute you and your action of martyring yourself for all religions and peoples of Malaysia. I feel so sorry for our nation and pray that there will be an awakening that will see all Malaysians, including those in the security and armed forces, who will stand up against these type of dangerous leaders in Umno-BN.
Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum: I sincerely hope Archbishop Murphy Pakiam will respond to these outrageous comments by Najib. He used Pakiam and the Christians in Malaysia to project himself and his government as a very tolerant government to the Western world.
And as soon as he is back home, he dons the mask of intolerance and demands that Christians prove their respect for Islam (Translates into prove your loyalty to Umno and this government). Bishop Paul Tan, thank you for defending Christians in Malaysia.
Foo: What have you to say, Archbishop Pakiam?
Gerard Samuel Vijayan: Bishop Paul Tan has said everything that needs to be said. The Christians will decide come GE13. We have always respected the status of Islam in this country and we have no intention to take over the leadership of a nation that is 60 percent Muslim given that we are a paltry 10 percent of the population.
It is shocking that PM Najib Razak doubts the loyalty of Christians to the constitution and the existing political system that we have. On the contrary, it is Umno and the Utusan Malaysia that has betrayed the trust of Christians by vilifying and demonising us to the Muslims.
In the 54 years since Independence and even before, the Christians have been in the forefront of education, hospitals and social services in this country and we have never discriminated against Muslims, but now we are discriminated against for our beliefs and our freedom to practise our faith is being curtailed.
The Christians intend to return this compliment come GE13 and neither the Holy See or the Pope are going to stop us.
Jeremy Ng: Great comments, Bishop Paul Tan. True to your faith in showing your sincerity unlike the government's spins and manipulation.
To me, the Vatican visit has ulterior motive to gain votes from the Malaysian Christians. And Najib realised that it's not working. As such, he has to show his 'muscle' in order to gain Muslim support. This is another spin job by our so-called 1Malaysia PM.
Cannon: It's our shame that as a nation, we have a low character for a prime minister. The man appeals to high ideals and projects himself to be a moderate leader before the world, yet behaves and does the opposite, catering to the base instincts and engaging in gutter politics to fish for votes.
His visit to the Vatican does not endear Christians to his regime for they know his trip is politically motivated, as with all things that he does. He and the regime he represents is without credibility and without principles - and deserves to be rejected.
Ramachandran Muniandy: If Muslims respect other religion, Islam too will be respected. But by keeping people like Ibrahim Ali, Utusan Malaysia and the Perak mufti, how and what you expect from the non-Muslims?
However, we don't need your advice, we always give the due respect to the real Muslims, but not Umno Muslims.
Freemsia: Want to know why PM Najib said that? Well, I think it is because he fears the many rural Malay folks (aka Umno's vote bank) will look at Najib's visit as somehow kow-towing to the Christians in an attempt to play down the simmering Allah issue.
So, after seemingly making the Malaysian Christians 'happy', he made this remark to make sure the predominantly Muslim Malay folks in the rural areas are still fully behind Umno.
PenangGuy: Come on, Prime Minister of 1Malaysia - if we Christians, or followers of any other religion for that matter, have not shown respect to Islam, we would have gone to you to complain about the early morning wake-up calls we get from the mosque or surau nearby our homes.
We would have made numerous police reports about the haphazard parking of vehicles near mosques and suraus on Fridays. We, non-Muslim Malaysians, have been respectful of the fact that Islam is the official religion of Malaysia and we have never made any fuss over that fact.
And for you to make that remark to Christians "that if they respect us, we will also respect them" shortly after your visit to the Vatican, I think is really "puzzling - even painful" - using the words by Bishop Paul Tan, which we wholeheartedly agree with.
Shame on you, Mr Prime Minister.
Ipoh2: PM went to meet the Pope and spoke meekly like a sheep, agreeing to all the advice given, but when he came back, he behaved like a wolf, threatening the Christians yet again.
Bishop Paul Tan has bravely spoken up for the Christians against Najib's double standard in judging the sincerity of the Christians.
Archbishop Murphy Pakiam should be ashamed of himself, having visited the Vatican with Najib and now saying nothing.
Lin Wenquan: I may be wrong but apparently his visits to Britain and the Vatican were disasters in as far as his not achieving the desired results he anticipated.
The Queen's choice of the offensive yellow colour was too much for him to stomach. He might have been ticked off diplomatically by the Pope for the anguish and unwarranted attacks his flock has been subject to.
His pointed remark to the Christians, (as if they have been disrespectful to the Muslims all this while), betrays his inner psyche to avenge the brush-off he experienced. It may also be a preemptive move to placate the likes of Ibrahim Ali and Utusanbefore they train their guns on him and accuse him of being accommodative to the Christians after meeting the Pope.
Either way, he is a desperate man.
SickNegara: Dear Bishop Paul Tan, I pray that you continue to speak up to correct the mistakes and arrogance of our leaders.
Only highly respected, credible, intelligent, righteous and God-chosen leaders like you are able to counter the high handedness of the power-that-be. Malaysians of all faith thank God for you.
Disbeliever: There is much that the PM can learn from you, Your Lordship. I've been following your comments which appear inMalaysiakini from time to time, and I must say that your comments reflect maturity, rational and much thought.
I have high respect for you as a man of God and I pray for your continuous good health and that God will always protect you and bless you to carry out your mission on Earth.
Nik V: Well said, Bishop Paul. It is also time that true Muslims from all walks of life stepped up against these pseudo-Muslim leaders who have taken more for themselves from the very people and religion they claim to defend.
They are pitting Malaysian against Malaysian in the name of their religion and race, and spewing racial innuendos at every turn in order to divide Malaysians while pretending to be for a '1Malaysia', whatever that means.
I salute you and your action of martyring yourself for all religions and peoples of Malaysia. I feel so sorry for our nation and pray that there will be an awakening that will see all Malaysians, including those in the security and armed forces, who will stand up against these type of dangerous leaders in Umno-BN.
Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum: I sincerely hope Archbishop Murphy Pakiam will respond to these outrageous comments by Najib. He used Pakiam and the Christians in Malaysia to project himself and his government as a very tolerant government to the Western world.
And as soon as he is back home, he dons the mask of intolerance and demands that Christians prove their respect for Islam (Translates into prove your loyalty to Umno and this government). Bishop Paul Tan, thank you for defending Christians in Malaysia.
Foo: What have you to say, Archbishop Pakiam?
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