Berita Calvary

2012 Year of Prayer For Malaysia - February

2012-02-01T01:24:00.004+08:00

2012

has been designated as a

24-7 Year of Prayer for Malaysia

We are now in the second month of 2012. Here is the new Prayer Agenda for February.

Please click on the Titles below to read the previous posts related to this :

INTRODUCTORY MESSAGES

PRAYER AGENDA FOR JANUARY

Let our corporate PRAYERS make a difference to our NATION.

2012 Year of Prayer for Malaysia - January

2012-01-01T00:18:00.009+08:00

2012

has been designated as a

24-7 Year of Prayer for Malaysia

Please refer back to the previous two posts, to read the Introductory Messages and Notes on this event.

2012 - Year of Prayer for Malaysia

2011-12-30T11:43:00.008+08:00

2012

has been designated as a

24-7 Year of Prayer for Malaysia

jointly organised by the following Christian Organizations in Malaysia.

Let us all make 2012 a year of personal prayer for our Nation. Together with Christians from across the nation, our collective prayers will make a difference not only for the Nation but also make a significant difference in our own personal walk with God.

Please try to obtain a copy of the Prayer Booklet to guide you as we journey together with others in this spiritual prayer walk. You may contact the organizers to find out how to get a copy for yourself.

To view their website click : http://www.24-7prayer.com/

To join their Facebook Group click : 24-7 Prayer Malaysia

Prayer Booklet cover

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9

Page 10

Page 11

Page 12

Page 13

Click on the links below for the individual month's Prayer Agenda

JANUARY 2012

FEBRUARY 2012

Pray For Our Christian Leaders

2011-12-29T12:36:00.002+08:00

This is an article taken from the Malaysian Insider Online news.

After reading this article, let us stop and spend a minute to pray for Rev. Eu Hong Seng that our almighty God will continue to guide him, use him and protect him as he boldly stand firm for what is right in the sight of God.

Click on the Title for the original source.

Rev Eu: Article 153 remarks had to be said

By Melissa Chi

December 28, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — Senior Christian leader Reverend Dr Eu Hong Seng said today his controversial Christmas Eve remarks about the country’s constitutional protection for Bumiputeras was something that “needed somebody to say it.”

He told The Malaysian Insider today that he had nothing to fear despite the fierce reaction from various Malay groups and denials by the government that Christians or any minority group had been sidelined.

When asked if he thought his speech during a Christmas Eve gathering last week was too provocative, Eu said in a matter-of-fact manner that “it is what it is”, and that “it needed somebody to say it.”

“Enough is said, there is nothing to add.

“There are enough MPs who are well-versed in this issue to carry on with the debate,” he told The Malaysian Insider today.

He described Perkasa’s call for him to be investigated for sedition an example of fear-mongering, adding that no one needs to be “fearful” in this country despite the vehemence from the Malay rights group

“This is not political; I am talking about the social wellbeing of everybody. It is biblical to speak up against any social imbalances,” he said.

The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) chairman had said on Christmas Eve that the Federal Constitution’s Article 153 was akin to “bullying” if it only protected the rights of one group.

Article 153 states that it is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s responsibility “to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article”.

In his speech, Eu had stressed that he did not have problems with rights of the Malays and the Sultans but “what irks many of us are the ‘shifting rights’” of the majority.

His remarks prompted demands from Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali yesterday for Eu to be probed by the police.

Ibrahim said the authorities should charge those who questioned Article 153 with sedition to safeguard national security.

The Pasir Mas MP said disputing the provision would only lead to civil strife, as it was part and parcel of what he described as an established “social contract” that could not be amended without consent from the Malay Rulers.

Amid the growing debate, opposition leaders have claimed that the provision had been manipulated by ruling Malay party Umno and was now being used as “a weapon of aggression”.

Constitutional expert Prof Abdul Aziz Bari had said that Article 153 meant the King must safeguard Bumiputera privileges without impinging on the legitimate interests of other communities.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin previously denied that the provision had been used to bully any community.

Christmas Presents of a Different Kind

2011-12-27T18:00:00.004+08:00

This article is taken from GoodTimes online news portal. In this article we read about how different people in Malaysia are changing the world around them with a different kind of giving presents this Christmas. May we all learn from them and possibly rethink about giving differently next Christmas. Click on the Title below for link to the original source.

Christmas giving that aids communities

By Yam Phui Yee And Susanna Khoo

Instead of the usual giving of Christmastime presents, several givers share of their charitable aid this Season to help build community lives.

Amidst the numerous and cheerful green, red and white Christmas decor, a large earthen pot on a pedestal greets guests at the home of Devindran Ramanathan and Angeline Jennifer Percival.

Most guests would initially dismiss it as just another decorative piece until you notice the message placed on it. Instead of giving gifts, the Ramanathans welcome guests to donate to their favourite charities, the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), as well as AnimalCare -- an NGO which promotes care giving to street animals.

Percival explains that they place the pot -- which she calls her “charity pot” – there, because they prefer guests to donate money to charities they support, rather than give the couple gifts.

It is a change from the usual giving of presents, but is more meaningful and cuts down unwanted gifts.
Instead of the usual giving of Christmastime presents, several givers share of their charitable aid this Season to help build community lives.

Amidst the numerous and cheerful green, red and white Christmas decor, a large earthen pot on a pedestal greets guests at the home of Devindran Ramanathan and Angeline Jennifer Percival.

Most guests would initially dismiss it as just another decorative piece until you notice the message placed on it. Instead of giving gifts, the Ramanathans welcome guests to donate to their favourite charities, the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), as well as AnimalCare -- an NGO which promotes care giving to street animals.

Percival explains that they place the pot -- which she calls her “charity pot” – there, because they prefer guests to donate money to charities they support, rather than give the couple gifts.

It is a change from the usual giving of presents, but is more meaningful and cuts down unwanted gifts.
Lillian Kim Jesudasan and her family offer comfort, food and hospitality to tertiary students who have no one to celebrate Christmas with. The recipe consultant for television programmes throws a Christmas dinner at their lovely home almost without fail every year, to share their Christmas warmth with others.
She had once spent a lonely Christmas with fast food. Her parents were not Christians and therefore, did not celebrate Christmas.

“Nobody knew I couldn’t go home for Christmas, not even my church members,” Lillian remarked.

Knowing what it feels like, she opens her home to students for Christmas dinner, where she treats them to delicious food and a fun-filled time with her family. For some, it would be the first time they celebrate Christmas in a family setting.

This Christmas, Lillian also invites neighbours over for dinner, to foster stronger ties within her community.

She hopes that parents will use the opportunity to educate their children that Christmas is about giving rather than expecting to receive.
“I remember one year, my daughter planted barley greens. When they sprouted after 10 days, she gave them to her friends in pots, to make drinks. Another year, we made chocolate chip cookies to give out.

“It’s not so much the value of the things (we give), but the heart of giving,” Lillian says.

Lillian is a woman with a big heart, whose giving goes beyond Christmas time.

Apart from running a successful catering business under the name A Family Affair, the mother of four also welcomes single mothers and young people to learn how to cook, bake, sew and serve in catering functions.

Dozens of families have benefited from this income-generating trade. Some of the youths later thanked Lillian for teaching them the people skills, work ethics and professionalism that have come in handy when they go out to work.
Giving, however, is not limited to things that come in wrappers and ribbons.
Financial advisory consultant Eugene Yang does not give presents to his friends. Instead, he buys Christmas gifts for poor communities through humanitarian aid NGO, World Vision Malaysia’s Gifts of Hope (GOH) programme (www.worldvision.com.my/goh/).
Buyers can choose what gifts to buy, like cows and goats for the poor in Thailand, sewing machines for Indonesia, hostels for Orang Asli students in Malaysia, safer baby deliveries and maternal care in Congo, or water and sanitation system in Cambodia, among others. The value of these gifts start from RM30 onwards and givers can also choose to share out the cost for more expensive items.
Under the programme, when payment is made for a gift, someone in a poor community somewhere in the world will be beneficiary of that gift.

“Last year, I bought some chicks and chickens, seedlings, farmer’s tools, bicycles, medicine and hygiene kit. As for the first four items, it’s a chance for me to contribute to the economic uplifting and sustenance of these communities.

“The chickens are for laying eggs, the seedlings (are) for crops and income (generation), and the bicycles (are) for villagers to go to work,” says Yang, who has been contributing through GOH for about six years now.

“According to World Vision’s statistics, 26,500 children die from preventable causes every day, such as unclean water, lack of safe medication and proper vaccination,” Yang adds. The medicine and hygiene kits help people in under-developed areas to stay healthy for work, so they could support their families.

Yang is also volunteering with World Vision Malaysiato promote the GOH programme in shopping centres this Christmas.

“Christmas is about the story of Jesus, even though he was not born on December 25. I feel it’s a time for remembrance and for sharing with others of the love of Jesus for mankind, and to give them hope. Jesus also declared in Luke 4:18 that he came to preach the good news to the poor.

“It (Christmastime) gives me an opportunity to remind other Christians that we should help the poor,” he adds.

Blessed Christmas & Happy New Year

2011-12-12T17:14:00.002+08:00

South Korean pastor tends an unwanted flock

2011-12-02T18:44:00.001+08:00

This is a moving article about an ordinary pastor doing extra ordinary things in the online Los Angeles Times. We hope that this article will move us all to allow God to turn our ashes to beauty. Whatever “ash” experience that we are placed in, let us learn to let God into that experience with us and then allow Him to use us to be a blessing to others.

From this testimony, we can see that God uses ordinary people in need to be His hand extended to others in need and we learn that to be a blessing is not always about giving money. It is about giving our lives.

South Korean pastor tends an unwanted flock

In a country that prizes physical perfection, Pastor Lee Jong-rak, his eyes opened after caring for his own disabled son, has been taking in unwanted infants, who if not for his drop box would be left in the street.

By John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times

June 19, 2011, 7:55 p.m.

Reporting from Seoul— The drop box is attached to the side of a home in a ragged working-class neighborhood. It is lined with a soft pink and blue blanket, and has a bell that rings when the little door is opened.

Because this depository isn't for books, it's for babies — and not just any infants; these children are the unwanted ones, a burden many parents find too terrible to bear.
One is deaf, blind and paralyzed; another has a tiny misshapen head. There's a baby with Down syndrome, another with cerebral palsy, still another who is quadriplegic, with permanent brain damage.
But to Pastor Lee Jong-rak, they are all perfect. And they have found a home here at the ad hoc orphanage he runs with his wife and small staff. It is the only private center for disabled children in South Korea.
"This is a facility for the protection of life," reads a hand-scrawled sign outside the drop box. "If you can't take care of your disabled babies, don't throw them away or leave them on the street. Bring them here."
Since 1998, Lee, now 57, has taken in nearly three dozen children — raised them, loved them, sent them to school. He has changed their diapers, tended to their cries in the middle of the night. Today, he has 21 wards: the youngest a 2-month-old, the oldest 18.
His motivation is painfully personal. Twenty-five years ago, Lee's wife, Chun-ja, gave birth to a baby so disfigured Lee kept the boy from her for a month until he could figure out a way to tell her the unthinkable, explaining only that the child had a serious illness and was rushed to another hospital.
The baby was born with cerebral palsy. A mammoth cyst on his head choked off the blood flow, slowly rendering him brain-damaged. Doctors gave him months to live.
Today he lies on a bed in Lee's home, his legs splayed at impossible angles, his feet turned back inward. Eyeing the room impassively, he occasionally lets out a snort or sigh, as his parents regularly vacuum his saliva through a tracheal hole in his throat. They call him Eun-man, which means full of God's grace.
He plays the role of emotional touchstone for an orphanage in peril: Health officials have ordered Lee to close his drop box, saying it encourages parents to abandon their babies.
Authorities say Lee has no formal training and not enough space for his wards, only two of whom are not handicapped; they were left by single mothers. Lee has no license, but for years he had operated underneath the radar. Now he worries he will lose the government funds he receives as the children's legal guardian; the money keeps him in operation, along with donations from local firms and private benefactors.
Orphanage supporters say authorities are missing the big picture. Though there are other institutional facilities nationwide for disabled children, they say, no salaried caregiver could match Lee's compassion and paternal touch.
"Rather than look at what he can bring, they focus on what he doesn't have," said Peter A. Dietrich, an orphanage volunteer. "The enormity of his mission hits you between the eyes. I don't know anyone who goes there for the first time and doesn't tear up."
Eun-man's birth caused a religious man to question his faith.
"I asked God, 'Why would you give me a handicapped child?' I wasn't grateful for this baby," Lee recalled.
He soon came to regret those words. Looking down at his son, helpless and beyond hope, he says he witnessed the preciousness of life. He and his wife decided to work desperately to keep the boy alive.
In the mid-1980s, Lee said, the disabled in South Korea were often viewed as embarrassing curiosities — more creature than child. Even today, he said, babies with physical deformities are seen as a national shame in a culture that prizes physical perfection, where cosmetic surgeries have become as common as haircuts.
Given his limited brain function, Eun-man needed constant care. He spent his first 14 years at a hospital. To help pay for his care, Lee sold his family food market, borrowed money and took up odd jobs to bring in more cash.

Click here for link to the original source.

Severe Floods in Cambodia

2011-10-24T13:32:00.003+08:00

Special Addition @ 30 October 2011.

This letter was forwarded to us by a regular reader. As this plight is also appealing for donation to help flood victims in Cambodia, we highlight Asia Outreach's appeal here. Please extend help if you are able to.

Please note that this letter was not sent directly to Berita Calvary and as such we have no direct connection with Asian Outreach. If you need further clarification or if you want to view the supporting documents mentioned in this letter, please contact Asian Outreach directly.

Asian Outreach (M) Bhd
No 81, Jalan SS 2/75,
47300 Petaling Jaya

Tel : +603 7876 6789

Fax : +603 7876 6221

Email : ao89pjm@unifi.my

_______________________________________

Can you help?

This is a Forwarded email to us, requesting that we send to all who are willing to extend financial help. As we are now in the time of the year where we are preparing to celebrate the Season of Giving in December, we highlight here a plight that is worth our help.

Many today, especially in Malaysia, have employed domestic helpers from Cambodia. This is a good way to extend our Christian charity to the people from whom God has placed in our homes to help us with our domestic chores. Let us show our love and care by supporting the work of those who have availed themselves by being physically there in Cambodia to carry out their Mission as God has laid upon their hearts to do.

Not all of us can go to the Missions field to fulfill the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ but all of us can give a little to those in the Missions field so that the Great Commission of our Lord can be fulfilled.

We have furnished links to their relevant websites. Please check out first before you Donate.

___________________________________________

From: Denis Kugler <denis.kugler@yahoo.com>

Date: Wed, Oct 19, 2011 at 5:11 PM

Subject: Deadly floods in Cambodia

To:

Dear Brother, Sister

More than 260 people died in the floods, and many are still missing.

In some areas the floods reach 3 meters high.

A few hundred Christian families need your help.

2 NGO ( Seapc and Nho ) and Agape Life Ministries want to help.

With US 50 dollars we can feed 8 people, for one month by giving them rice, noodles, soy sauce and canned fish.

May the Lord bless you all for your help and your prayers

Denis Kugler

Agape Life Ministry

Please read our link below:

http://agape-life-ministries.org/Can_You_Help.pdf

Can You Help? Severe Floods

Posted by Tina Tomes

The current flooding in South East Asia is the worst in several decades.

Several countries are affected by this devastating flood, including

Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. Hundreds of people have died due to

flooding related problems such as starvation, lack of clean water, lack of

sanitation, and snake bites. Entire families are stranded in their homes

because they do not have a boat to leave. Other homes are covered

completely. People and animals are gathering in any dry place they can

find. Crops have been destroyed. Schools are closed because they are

flooded. The situation worsens by the day and is expected to last until

sometime in mid-November.

In Cambodia, Fellowship Word of Life Church, led by Pastor Sinai, is

wanting to share the gospel and love of Jesus by distributing food supplies

to these affected people. They have figured out that they can help feed a

family of 8 people for one month for just $50. That’s right….$50. This

Money would purchase and distribute a 50kg bag of rice, a carton of soy

sauce, a box of noodles and a carton of canned fish.

Their goal is to help at least 700 families – 100 at the Mekong River

Church, 100 in the province of Prey Veng, 300 in the province of Kampong

Chhnang and 200 in the province of Banteay Meanchey. Pastor Vanna, the

pastor at FWOLC in Phnom Penh is the chairman of this project and is

being assisted by several SEAPC-Cambodia/NHO team members – Pastor

Sinai, Sothea, Sitha, Sokhom, Rathana and Piseth. They are also working

in partnership with Denis Kugler of Agape Life Ministries in Phnom Penh to

bring together the needed provisions and funding.

Pastor Sinai and Sitha visited the affected area in Kampong Chhnang just 2

days ago. They said that while they were there, a funeral was being held

for a child who had died because of the flood. Many, many children are

affected. The Cambodia Daily has reported that there has been no help so

far from the government or NGO’s (non-profit organizations). Let’s show

Cambodia that Jesus and His people are concerned and are helping to

provide relief.

To donate you can choose following organisations :

In the USA...... “South East Asia Prayer Centre” (www.seapc.us)

Mail to: info@seapc.us

In Cambodia..... “New Hope for Orphans” (www.nhoasia.org)

Mail to: sinainewhope@hotmail.comk

Bank transfer details

Intermediary Bank: HSBC Bank, U.S.A., New York, N.Y. 10018

SWIFT: MRMDUS33

Routing Nº: 021001088

CHIPS ABA: 0108

Account with Institution: ACLEDA Bank Plc., Head Office,

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

FIELD 57A: SWIFT CODE: ACLBKHPP

CHIPS UID: 415637

Beneficiary Customer Name: NEW HOPE FOR ORPHANS

FIELD 59:Account Nº: 0001-20-168934-1-5

In Singapore... ‘Agape Life Ministries” (www.agape-life-ministries.org)

Mail to: denis.kugler@yahoo.com

Bank in Singapore

Bank OCBC

Acc. Name Agape Life Ministries

Branch Number 7339

Acc. Number 629 012261 001

Swift add. OCBCSGSG

------------------------------------------------

Click here for link to : Agape Life Ministries

Jais-DUMC row by Dr Ng Kam Weng

2011-10-15T22:59:00.002+08:00

This is another interesting opinion penned by Dr Ng Kam Weng taken from The Malaysian Insider. (Click on title for original source)

* Dr Ng Kam Weng is research director at the Kairos Research Centre (Click on Name to link)

Jais-DUMC row: Sultan not properly informed — Dr Ng Kam Weng

OCT 12 — The Christian community has waited with anticipation for DYMM Sultan of Selangor to come out with a statement that will help resolve the inter-religious crisis sparked off by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raid on Damansara Utama Methodist Church on August 3, 2011.

We welcome the Sultan’s wish that religious harmony should continue in the state and his decree that there be no prosecution against any of the parties involved.

However, the Sultan’s statement does raise a few issues of serious concern for the non-Muslim community as there are views expressed therein that suggest that the Sultan may not have been properly informed by his advisers.

First, the statement suggests that “the actions of Jais were correct and did not breach any laws enforceable in Selangor,” as they “are in line with the jurisdiction provided under Syariah Criminal Procedure (State of Selangor) Enactment (2003), Syariah Criminal (State of Selangor) Enactment, 1995 and the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment of 1988” (herein referred to as the “Selangor Enactment”)

With all due respect, I beg to differ from this interpretation of the state enactments. In the first place, the jurisdiction granted by Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution was to permit the state to control or restrict the propagation of religion among people professing to be Muslims. This must be read in the context of the Article itself which fundamentally provides for every person the freedom to profess, practice and propagate his religion.

Such power to control or restrict propagation cannot be understood as absolutely prohibiting any conduct or activity on the excuse of some unspecified complaint that they are for the purposes of propagation of religion. Such power cannot be taken as licence for officials to intrude or trespass into a function conducted within the premises of what is clearly a non-Muslim religious institution (in the present case a Christian institution) without legal authority

There is no legal provision under the Propagation Enactment that allows Jais officials to intrude into the premises of DUMC, much less carry out a raid. From my reading of the Selangor Enactment (1988), the closest possible justification that can be offered by Jais are Sections 12 and 13, which specify that “an authorised officer may investigate the commission of any offence under this Enactment and may arrest without warrant any person suspected of having committed any such offence.”

He may also apply for warrants of arrest from a Magistrate to require the attendance of witnesses. There is, however, simply no unilateral power to carry out an entry and search under the Propagation Enactment or for that matter even to apply for a search warrant.

If the officer responsible for the raid intends to conduct an entry and search, he must base his power from some legal source. Jais officers appear to have acted under Syariah Enactment that does NOT apply, however, to non-Muslims and cannot be imported into the Propagation Enactment.

While superficially this provision seems to grant disturbing power to this “authorised officer”, the enforcement must be consistent with the more fundamental provisions under Part II of the Federal Constitution relating to fundamental liberties and the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (Act 593) relating to search and arrest which presumes that a search warrant should have been sought as a matter of course, and that the warrant is granted only upon reasonable suspicion that a seizable offence has been committed at the DUMC premises. The requirement of a search warrant is a fundamental recognition of the right to privacy within one’s own domain and space.

More importantly, given the sensitivity of inter-religious relations and the sanctity of religious places of worship, such a warrant should be granted only by a magistrate or judge from the Civil Court and only upon firm and clear grounds.

The fact remains that Jais carried out the raid with disregard for established provisions and procedure of law — the leader of the Jais party failed to present relevant identity documents to confirm he was indeed “an authorised officer”, specify the offence(s) or suspected offence(s) relating to propagation under the Selangor Enactment that was alleged to have been committed and that he had obtained a search warrant from a Magistrate or the High Court, especially when a church was the target of the raid. For these reasons, it may be argued contrary to the Sultan’s statement, that prima facie, Jais had not acted lawfully within the bounds of law when it raided DUMC.

Second, it should be noted that the statement claims “there were attempts to subvert the faith and belief of Muslims but that the evidence obtained would be insufficient for further legal actions to be taken.”

The plural word “attempts” suggests Christians at DUMC were guilty of subverting Islam not only on August 3, 2011, but that they were repeatedly committing the alleged offence. This is a most unfair and misleading accusation that imputes guilt to DUMC without offering any evidence that could be verified or refuted.

It may be noted that the English version of the Sultan’s statement uses stronger words than the official Bahasa version — it translates the word “memesongkan (distort, deviate) fahaman dan kepercayaan fahaman orang Islam” with the word “subvert the faith and belief of Muslims”

The statement unwittingly exposes the feeble foundations of its accusations when it concedes that there was insufficient evidence obtained for further legal action. In simple terms, this must means that Jais had FAILED to make a prima facie case against DUMC.

I may add that despite the attempt to hide behind the legal term of “insufficient evidence”, the reality is that there was simply NO evidence of subversion of the Islamic faith. Beating a hasty retreat from the threat of prosecuting DUMC was the best option left for Jais.

Third, it is alarming that the statement describes the activities of DUMC as subversion of the Islamic faith. This charge is injurious to the integrity of Christians with regard to their profession and practice of faith.

Regarding integrity of profession of the Christian faith: Christians at DUMC have never pretended to be teaching any religion other than Christianity. DUMC is, after all, a church. Christians have every right to uphold their beliefs and practice their faith and while doing so, should not be judged as subverting or deviating /“memesongkan fahaman” Islamic beliefs on account of the doctrinal differences between the two religions. Following the logic of Jais, Christians could equally have charged Muslims for subverting the Christian faith when Muslims preach a faith different from Christians.

Regarding practice of faith: Christians are well known for their social work that flows from their belief in the love of God for the poor and needy. As the Bible says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). Hence, the press statement from DUMC says, “DUMC conducts all its activities to serve the community and for the welfare of all Malaysians regardless of creed, race or religion.”

It is therefore alarming when Jais casts aspersions against the charity work done by Christians and claims that Christians are subverting Islamic beliefs on account of their good works. It may well be the case that some needy Muslims have availed themselves to the good services offered by DUMC, and DUMC obviously cannot turn them away simply because they happen to be Muslims.

DUMC may well be charged for promoting religious disharmony if it makes religion a factor before anyone can receive welfare. On the other hand, Christians may well be advised to stop their work that may incline a Muslim to view the Christian faith favourably since this would incur the wrath of Jais officials. At best, the Sultan’s statement can be misconstrued by mischievous parties and exploited to misrepresent the altruistic intention of Christians; at worst, it maligns the welfare work of Christians.

Therefore, we welcome the announcement made by the mentri besar of Selangor, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, that the Selangor government will set up a special committee to fine-tune the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) followed by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) in handling attempts to proselytise Muslims.

We hope the committee will come up with recommendations that will 1) ensure Jais fully understands and observes the bounds of its authority, that is, that it has no jurisdiction over non-Muslims, and 2) any investigation of non-Muslims leading to intervention by the Islamic authorities should follow a proper procedure and law, including obtaining a search warrant granted by senior judicial officials from a religiously neutral institution such as a Magistrate or a High Court judge.

Otherwise, the government ends up surreptitiously investing illegitimate and excessive authority to Islamic officials over non-Muslims. The consequences will be abuse of power, and insensitive and provocative actions against non-Muslim believers as seen in the case of the Jais raid of DUMC.

We do well to listen respectfully and sympathetically to the appeal from the victim of religious abuse, in this case DUMC, when it says in its media statement, “We sincerely ask that all religious communities and places of worship be treated with utmost respect and not be intruded upon.”

Closure to JAIS-DUMC issue

2011-10-14T13:55:00.002+08:00

Finally we see a closure to the issue on the raid conducted by the JAIS officers into DUMC grounds during a thanksgiving dinner held at the latter's premises. We thank God for the decision made by the Sultan of Selangor which provided a definite closure to this unpleasant episode experienced by Pastor Daniel Ho and the congregation of DUMC.

It cannot be denied that the JAIS-DUMC issue has sparked off a massive uproar in the nation but looking back at the events that had taken place, we see the hand of God at every juncture in this episode. While we cannot speak of the experiences of Pastor Daniel Ho and his congregation but as fellow Christians in this nation, we see the unity among believers of Jesus Christ, coming together to pray for Pastor Daniel Ho and those involved, be it in prayer meetings in churches or small group fellowships and even in the personal prayers of many individuals in their private devotion time. There was a unity in spirit among Christians from all walks of life and from different Churches in the whole nation, uniting as one and in one spirit, crying out to our Almighty God for wisdom and deliverance.

Not only did this episode see the Churches in Malaysia uniting in prayer, Pastor Daniel Ho was heard saying that he had received encouraging messages and support from Christians from overseas too. So this episode even went global and harnessed the prayer support of Christians abroad.

We believe that God has a greater purpose for our nation of Malaysia and He is uniting the Christians here to band together as one, through various difficulties, so that we will be prepared to fulfill His great Commission as one body - the Universal Church of Jesus Christ. The Churches and the Christians in Malaysia have come out and stood by our fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ in crisis.

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14).

Let us continue to shine together for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Coming back to the JAIS-DUMC issue, we have collected some related articles for your reading taken from The Star Online.

******************************

Monday October 10, 2011

DUMC issue: S'gor Sultan rules no action against parties involved

SHAH ALAM: The Sultan of Selangor has ruled that no group should be prosecuted over a controversial incident on Aug 3 where the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) conducted a search on a thanksgiving dinner event held at the Dream Centre Complex belonging to the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC).

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah also commanded that Jais provide counselling to the Muslims who were present during the dinner which was organised by a non-governmental organisation.

"After carefully deliberating the report by Jais and after obtaining advice from religious authorities and legal experts, we are in agreement that there would be no prosecution against any parties.

"Even so, we command that Jais provide counselling to Muslims who were involved in the said dinner, to restore their belief and faith in the religion of Islam," he said.

Following is the full text of the Sultan's statement Monday:

We, the Head of the Religion of Islam in the State of Selangor, take great concern over the actions by the Enforcement Division of the Selangor Department of the Religion of Islam (Jais) which carried out a search at the Thanksgiving Dinner event which was held at Hall 3, Dream Centre Complex, Section 13, Petaling Jaya on Aug 3, 2011.

We hope that the people of Selangor, regardless of race and religion, do not misconstrue and dispute the actions of Jais before knowing exactly the true facts of the actions taken.

As the State Department responsible for the enforcement of Islamic Laws in the State, Jais has the heavy task of ensuring that the Religion of Islam in Selangor is always protected and given prestige, in line with its position as the Religion of the State of Selangor under Article XLVII of the Laws of the Constitution of Selangor, 1959, as well as the religion of the Federation under Clause (1) Article 3 of the Federal Constitution.

Jais has submitted to Us the full report of the search carried out at the Dream Centre Complex, Section 13, Petaling Jaya as well as the subsequent actions taken by Jais. We have thoroughly read in detail the said report and We are satisfied that the actions of Jais were correct and did not breach any laws enforceable in Selangor.

The actions of Jais are in line with the jurisdiction provided under Syariah Criminal Procedure (State of Selangor) Enactment, 2003, Syariah Criminal (State of Selangor) Enactment, 1995 and Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment, 1988.

The Religion of Islam as practiced in Selangor is one of tolerance. Muslims are always encouraged to respect the believers of other religions. However, persons or parties cannot take the opportunity to spread other religions to Muslims. This is in line with Clause (1) and (4) Article 11 of the Federal Constitution and Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment, 1988, which prohibits the spread of other religions to Muslims.

Article XLVII of the Laws of the Constitution of Selangor 1959, Clause (1) Article 3 and Clause (1) Article 11 of the Federal Constitution have given the freedom to believers of other religions to practice their beliefs in peace and harmony. This freedom has been practised in harmony in this State. We wish that this harmony, which has existed for a long time, will continue to exist. Protect your rights and religion and do not attempt to subvert the belief and faith of Muslims.

Based on the investigations by Jais, there is evidence that there were attempts to subvert the faith and belief of Muslims but that the evidence obtained would be insufficient for further legal actions to be taken. Therefore, after carefully deliberating the report by Jais and after obtaining advice from religious authorities and legal experts, We are in agreement that there would be no prosecution against any parties.

Even so, We command that Jais provide counselling to Muslims who were involved in the said dinner, to restore their belief and faith in the Religion of Islam. We also command Jais to carry out preaching to Muslims in a more regular and organised manner so that their belief and faith towards Islam is protected and enhanced.

We hope that after this, any and all activities being carried out or which are going to be carried out for the purposes of spreading other religions to Muslims in Selangor must be ceased immediately and no further activities or anything similar to them are carried out in the future.

We, the Head of the Religion of Islam in the State of Selangor, are gravely concerned and extremely offended by the attempts of certain parties to weaken the faith and belief of Muslims in the State of Selangor. We command that Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (Mais) and Jais always conduct thorough observations and to take necessary actions without hesitation in line with the jurisdiction allowed under the law.

We also wish to take this opportunity to thank all parties who were concerned with this issue and to those who have given their cooperation and undivided support to Jais.

H.R.H. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj
The Sultan of Selangor

****************************************************

Wednesday October 12, 2011
DUMC welcomes Sultan of Selangor’s statement
By LOH FOON FONG
foonfong@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: The Damansara Utama Methodist Church welcomes the statement by the Sultan of Selangor that no one would be charged in connection with a Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) search at the church two months ago.
Senior pastor Dr Daniel Ho stressed that activities organised by DUMC were meant to serve the community and welfare of Malaysians regardless of race, creed or religion.
“We sincerely ask that all religious communities and places of worship be treated with the utmost respect and not be intruded upon,” he said.
Dr Ho said the church had worked within the boundaries of law and public order.
“We call on all Malaysians to continue to live in peace, tolerance and harmony. We also call on all Christians to continue to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God,” he said.
Jais carried out the search during a function, organised by non-governmental organisation Harapan Komuniti, at the Dream Centre Complex belonging to DUMC on Aug 3 following a tip-off about an alleged attempt to proselytise Muslims at the dinner.
On Monday, the Sultan ruled that no group would be prosecuted over the search.
Bar Council chairman Lim Chee Wee said that Malaysians must respect the Federal Constitution which provides for states to control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among Muslims.
However, he voiced concern over the Non-Muslim Enactment which gave wide powers to the relevant officers to arrest, even without warrant, on suspicion that a person has committed an offence.
“The exercise of such powers can be subject to abuse and can constitute a restriction of Malaysians' rights of freedom of assembly and association,” he said.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism president Tan Hoe Chieow said it accepted the Sultan's ruling that no group should be prosecuted and that non-Muslims were free to protect their rights and religions.
He said that Jais has no jurisdiction over non-Muslims and due to the sensitivity and sanctity of worship places, they must first lodge a police report if there were cases of proselytising, and the police must obtain a search warrant from the courts to enter religious places of worship.
******************************************************

Tuesday October 11, 2011
Council of Churches accepts Sultan’s ruling
PETALING JAYA: The Council of Churches Malaysia has accepted the Sultan of Selangor's ruling that no group should be prosecuted over a controversial church search in August.
Its general-secretary Reverend Dr Hermen Shastri said the council took the view that Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had settled the matter.
“We consider the Sultan's statements a closure of the DUMC (Damansara Utama Methodist Church) case,” he said yesterday.
He was commenting on the search conducted by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) during a dinner held at the DUMC Dream Centre on Aug 3.
“In the interests of peace, we hope that people will not speculate about or aggravate the situation further,” he said.
Meanwhile, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said a committee would be set up by the state government to study ways to strengthen the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department's (Jais) standard operating procedures.
He said in a statement that the special committee would be headed by legal and religious experts.
Khalid added that Jais should strengthen its administration when conducting religious checks, adding: “This issue only shows that Jais has space for improvement.”
State PAS deputy commissioner Khalid Samad described the Sultan's command to not prosecute any party and to provide counselling to Muslims present at the dinner as a good way to restore belief in Islam.
“Taking legal action and applying force to change one's mindset, especially in religious matters will not work,” he added.
“An individual's belief should not be handled with force. It should be handled in a more delicate manner. Hence, the Sultan's announcement to provide counselling is the best way in restoring belief in Islam.”
Selangor religious affairs committee chairman Datuk Dr Hasan Mohamed Ali said they would use hi-tech gadgets to prove their cases in the court.
“I will make sure that a high-performance management system and sophisticated equipment are used to defend every case,'' he said.
He said the ruling was an indication that the Sultan wanted both Jais and the Selangor Islamic Religious Council to act “professionally”.
Meanwhile, Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the Sultan, in his royal wisdom, had defused the situation.
“By further ensuring no parties will be prosecuted will allow the matter to be put to rest,” he said.
What was important now was for Jais and other agencies to review their practices on raids especially when it involved a non-Muslim place of worship, Dr Koh said.

Logos Hope - Inaugural Visit to Malaysia

2011-08-26T10:50:00.008+08:00

Latest Update dated 30 September 2011 on the Logos Hope

... in Port Klang, Malaysia
29 September – 23 October 2011
Port Klang Cruise Centre (formerly known as Star Cruises Terminal, West Port)
More information on how to find the port Click : LOGOS HOPE LOCATION
Opening Hours:

Tuesday - Saturday : 10am - 10pm

Sunday : 1pm - 10pm

MONDAY : CLOSED

Entrance Fee: RM1

Free entrance for children 12 and under,
but they must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information click on : LOGOS HOPE

To view pictures on the LOGOS HOPE in Port Klang taken by NECF,

login to Facebook :

Logos Hope Opening at Port Klang
By NECF Malaysia (Albums)

____________________________________________________

Click on Title for link to Logos Hope website.

Penang : 25 August - 25 September (earlier as reported in their website)

Port Klang : 29 September - 23 October

Kuching : 28 October - 14 November

Kota Kinabalu : 18 November - 4 December

Operation Mobilisation's newest ship - MV Logos Hope (sister ship of MV Doulos) will be visiting Malaysia between month of August and December 2011. We hope through this visit, it would provide many opportunities to bring knowledge, hope & help to our nation.

Operation Mobilisation (click for link to OM website)

Here's a little write up on the mission of the ship taken from the OM website.

Ships – Bringing Knowledge, Help and Hope

Our desire is to share the knowledge of God’s love and compassion with every visitor to our ships and with the wider community in every port.

Touching lives with knowledge, help and hope. For decades, OM’s ships have travelled the world supplying literature, helping people in need, motivating Christians, training young people and sharing the Good News of God’s love.

Today, the Ship Ministry is still touching lives—powerfully demonstrating God’s love through our international community living and serving together onboard Logos Hope.

Knowledge

Known for their floating book fairs, the ships have made over 1,400 port visits in more than 160 nations, welcoming over 42 million people onboard. Visitors can select from over 5,000 book titles, covering a wide range of subjects and available at a fraction of their value. Grants of books to schools, libraries, colleges, churches and universities in developing countries have made a positive impact.

Help

Those caught in the grip of poverty often lack basic education and healthcare. OM Ships workers have undertaken a wide range of relief projects worldwide. Their efforts include constructing orphanages, building shelters for victims of natural disasters and distributing medical aid, food and supplies.

Hope

In a world of uncertainty, true hope is only possible by engaging in a personal relationship with God. In every port, volunteer crew members share this message of hope with those they meet.

Having a purpose in life also brings hope. Through the on-board training programmes, we offer an ideal environment for crew members to discover and cultivate their gifts. For many, it’s a significant step towards a life-time of serving God.

Malaysia’s season for Christian bashing

2011-08-24T11:26:00.006+08:00

This is an article taken from FreeMalaysiaToday which highlights the problems that the Church in Malaysia is facing today. Please pray with the National Church Leaders and join hands with other Christians all over Malaysia as we unite in a spirit of prayer in response to the NECF 40-Day Fast and Prayer (click for link to NECF) which began on 7 August - 15 September.

Malaysia’s season for Christian bashing

Mariam Mokhtar

| August 19, 2011

So what is it about the Christian faith that scares our political leaders so much? Is it the message of love and forgiveness?

In recent months, Malaysians have seen a constant drip-drip of Christians being persecuted because they were alleged to want to take over the country, both in mind and in spirit.

If we in the east complain that the west is out to demonise Islam, then how different are we from them when any Christian act in Malaysia is seen as a threat to Islam and the Malay race?

Do our political leaders seriously imagine that the Malaysian Muslim is so feeble and his soul so tormented, that he is easily influenced by the devil or by the teachings of Jesus Christ?

Do they think we are so irresolute and weak-willed that another religion, race or culture will swallow up our individual identities?

Maybe they are right. The number of schools with cheerleaders for sports activities, and proms for end-of-year parties with boys in tuxedos and girls in slinky ballgowns, is on the increase.

Perhaps MacDonald’s and KFC should be banned and Starbuck’s closed down to protect our local kedai makan and kedai kopi. It appears that Uncle Sam is a more corrupting influence than religion.

Supermarkets and hypermarkets are not good for our local shopkeepers either. So why are all western imports allowed to proliferate? They act in subtle ways and have a worse effect on Malaysians.

Malaysians seem to be oblivious to the fact that Article 11 of the Federal Constitution guarantees religious freedom for all Malaysians (bar Muslims).

The indoctrination by our ruling party means that we have lost the quality of being respectful of each other’s beliefs. When will the time come before we also lose sight of our own humanity and dignity?

Ipohites will recall that in 2006, the Catholic community in Silibin, had a frightening experience when a hostile mob surrounded their church because of a rumour started by the Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria. He claimed that hundreds of Malays would be baptised.

Was Harussani prosecuted for spreading false rumours and threatening our national security? Hell would probably freeze over before that were to happen.

The Perak mufti got a mighty fright when the public recoiled at his suggestion to ban Manchester United football and other teams with jerseys with “crosses” which “promoted the Devil”.

Harussani also banned Muslims from the poco-poco dance because it contained elements of Christianity and soul-worshipping. Many will recall that Harussani also forbade Muslims from attending open houses of non-Muslims for their festival days.

The ‘Allah’ ban

In 2007, The Herald, a weekly Catholic newspaper, was banned by the Home Ministry from using the word “Allah” in its publications. The home minister at the time, Syed Hamid Albar, said that Christians using “Allah” were a threat to national security and would create misunderstanding and confusion among Muslims.

Does he really think Muslims are as obtuse as the Cabinet?

In 2009, two Muslim reporters from Al-Islam took part in Catholic Mass and received Holy Communion at St Anthony’s Church in Kuala Lumpur. The reporters desecrated the Holy Communion by spitting out the wafers, photographed their actions and then published their deceit in their magazine.

Last Christmas, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak attended the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur’s Christmas tea party but his aides ordered the removal of crucifixes and other religious symbols, and that no hymns or prayers be said in Najib’s presence.

This was closely followed by the confiscation of two consignments of around 40,000 Bibles from Port Klang and Kuching. Najib finally ordered one batch to be released but Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein stipulated two conditions prior to the release, which resulted in the Holy Books being defaced.

This year alone, we have seen allegations of Christians wanting to replace Islam as the official religion of the country in readiness for a Christian prime minister. This was followed by a JAIS raid on a DUMC charity dinner because there were claims that Malays were being proselytised.

The latest Christian bashing is when Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, said that there were attempts by school teachers or tuition teachers to spread other religions to Muslim children.

It had been reported that Muslim children were given free tuition by non-Malay youths and had been taught to sing songs in adulation of Jesus Christ “while making hand signals to show the crucifix symbol”. The children were fed stories about Jesus, his crucifixion and his teachings.

Muhyiddin said, “Such things cannot be done because we have specific laws, (and) enactments.”

He announced that the Islamic religious department in each state had the power to take action against any group who tried to spread other religions to Muslims.

Political ploy

How does this arrogance compare with the Star reports in 2006 that RM10,000 would be given to each Muslim preacher who married an Orang Asli woman and converts her?

In addition, the preachers would receive free accommodation, a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a fixed monthly allowance of RM1,000.

Some Orang Asli were tricked into giving personal details which were used to fill up the conversion form and a token sum of RM400 paid. Others claimed that they had been promised development and aid as incentives.

Aren’t these people being converted for the wrong reasons?

Perhaps Muhyiddin should be more open and permit religious knowledge at school. It is shocking that many of our young are not aware of the existence of other faiths. They fail to respect others and expect non-Muslims to conform to their beliefs.

I went to a boarding school in England and so did a few of my cousins and their friends. Many of our political leaders like Najib (Malvern) went to a Church of England (C of E) school, just like his cousin Hishammuddin (Cheltenham Boys) as did Raja Zarith Idris of Perak.

They said the Lord’s prayer everyday in chapel and attended Sunday service as well as Carol services. As do the children of the ministers who attend English boarding schools, today.

As most people are aware, the UK boarding schools are mainly C of E schools. Prior to that, I was at Bukit Nanas and CHIJ in Malaysia. None of us have been indoctrinated into Christianity even though the Lord’s prayer was said every morning during assembly.

We respect the Christians like they respect our adherence to our own faith. In UK, none of my Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu Malaysian compatriots became Christians. We sang hymns or Christmas carols mainly because we liked singing or it was part of the school culture.

So what is it about the Christian faith that scares our political leaders so much? Is it the message of love and forgiveness? Or is it a political ploy to scare Muslims into thinking that only Umno are defenders of the faith?

Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist

DUMC DISPENSABLE COLLATERAL DAMAGE

2011-08-22T11:35:00.003+08:00

This is an Article by Dr Ng Kam Weng (Kairos Research Centre) expressing his personal view in the trespassing of DUMC grounds issue.

PAS REAL TARGET OF JAIS' RAID: DUMC DISPENSABLE COLLATERAL DAMAGE

By nkw

The war drums beat ominously. The platoons are quickly mobilized for attack. The commanders are confident that their target will be hit and destroyed given numerous artillery salvos. I am not talking about shock and awe in the Iraq war. I am talking about how JAIS and UMNO activists have carefully orchestrated their recent attacks on the Malaysian church after their illegal raid of DUMC.

It is easy to be confused, especially when JAIS and UMNO activists deliberately cloud the issues with wild claims, hoping that their illegal transgression of a church will be overlooked and the innocent victim (DUMC) will somehow appear guilty, if accused repeatedly. It does not matter that till now JAIS has failed to produce any credible evidence to support the raid. JAIS seems to operate on the basis that people will end up believing lies so long as they are repeated enough in the media.

AN UNDENIABLE VIOLATION OF A HOLY PLACE
But how does one sift out the truth from the lies? First we stress the undeniable facts:

A group of 20-30 members from JAIS and the police raided the premises of DUMC where there was a thanksgiving dinner held by Harapan Community in appreciation of people who have supported their community service. This raid was undeniably an illegal act since the officials were unable to produce a search warrant.

In effect, the JAIS violated the sanctity of the house of God. The raid is not only illegal; it is an almost unforgivable sin. Any Muslim should know this and would shrink in horror and be tempted to retaliate should officials from another religion violate their mosques.

JAIS initially defended the raid by claiming that they are empowered to act on grounds of suspicious activities. But even if we go by the requirements of the Penal Code, such a raid must be backed by reasonable suspicion, that is, there must be prima facie evidence to justify the raid. Till today, JAIS has failed to offer the slightest modicum of evidence that can be accepted as 'reasonable suspicion', much less be accepted as prima facie evidence.

JAIS backpedaled from its claim to have the authority to raid DUMC and now describes its act as an 'inspection' - a definite sign that it realizes (but not admitting publicly) that the raid was illegal.

BUT what gives JAIS the authority to inspect DUMC or any church for that matter? The supreme law of the land, the Federal Constitution specifies that Shariah has no jurisdiction over non- Muslims. JAIS officials accompanied by the police or not, have no business to interfere with what is going on inside the church - especially, when there is not the slightest reasonable suspicion.

To repeat, JAIS violated the sanctity of the sanctuary of another religion. The raid is not only illegal; it is an almost unforgivable sin.

FLIMSY EVIDENCE FOR CHARGE OF PROSELYTIZATION
JAIS' violation is unjustifiable and would set a dangerous precedent if left unchallenged. Christians are naturally aggrieved (and MBBCHST publicly shares the same sentiments with a public statement) and have good reasons to demand an apology and receive an assurance that such acts will not be repeated.

This grievous issue must be kept in the forefront, especially now that JAIS is desperately trying to muddy the controversy by heaping a series of accusations about Christian proselytization and conversion of Muslims.

But the allegation of proselytization just won't hold water:

First, JAIS has not linked, much less produced evidence to support allegations of proselytization in DUMC. If there is any allegation of proselytization, it is directed towards Harapan Community. DUMC is only the renter letting out its premises to a bona fide NGO. DUMC's innocence and integrity is above reproach. In contrast, JAIS exceeded its bounds of authority.

Second, JAIS has failed to produce credible evidence to support the charge of proselytization by Harapan Community. It produced a scanned picture of a quiz on Islam and took offense that words like "Allahu Akbar" and "Alhamdullilah" were used at the dinner. But this evidence proves to be dubious upon a closer examination:

The quiz turns out to be an exercise to help people understand Islam better with questions like. "What does the word 'Quran' mean? How many sura are there in the Quran? What are the pillars of Islam?" It may be granted that JAIS may have (still disputable) grounds to charge Harapan community if the quiz was on Christianity, but it turns out that the quiz was on Islam. If anybody has reason to be offended, it is the Christian community, since apparently Islam was taught in church!

Likewise, what's wrong with Christians using the words "Allahu Akbar" and "Alhamdullilah"? The phrases mean "God is great" and "Praise to God". Malay speaking Christians who share strong historic links with Arabic Christians would feel as natural singing these phrases as when singing "Hallelujah". As such, praise to God there certainly was, but proselytization, there surely wasn't.

All in all, JAIS must be pretty desperate to clutch to these 'evidence' to support the alleged proselytization.

JAIS tries to buttress it case by making reference to Muslims who have converted to Christianity, but these cases have nothing to do with Harapan Community. But for the sake of argument, even if a Malay attending the thanksgiving dinner eventually declares he is a Christian, JAIS cannot simply jump to the conclusion that Harapan Community was guilty of proselytization. It could be the case, that this Malay became a Christian on his own initiative (given easy access to teaching of Christianity in the internet) or that he was influenced while studying overseas.

JAIS may implicate Harapan Community of proselytization only if it produces evidence that directly links the social services of Harapan Community to proselytization. So far, JAIS is unable to produce any evidence. A fortiori, it is even less able to associate DUMC with questionable allegations of proselytization.

To conclude and to recapitulate to the main issue, JAIS has no justifiable grounds to raid and violate the sanctity of a church (DUMC).

QUESTIONABLE PROCESS OF INVESTIGATION
That JAIS has failed to produce credible evidence does not mean it will not keep trying. But the longer it takes for JAIS to produce such 'evidence', the less credible the 'evidence' will turn out to be.

Naturally, JAIS has been unrelenting in wanting to haul up the twelve Malays who were at the dinner for further questioning. These Malays were first required to report for 'counseling' which would imply they were guilty of an (unproven) offence. When queried by the lawyer representing the twelve, JAIS replied that they were called to give statements (which should mean the twelve are innocent until proven guilty).

The lawyer representing the twelve sought the following clarifications before advising his clients to report to JAIS, that is, what legal provisions enable Jais to issue the Notice Orders requiring their clients to present themselves;
•   The offence or details of the offence Jais is investigating;
•   The offenders, if any, who were being investigated by Jais;
•   The real purpose requiring their client's attendance before Jais, whether to attend 'pre-counselling sessions' as offenders or merely to assist Jais in its investigations, if any.

As far as I know, JAIS has so far not answered these questions. There is now a new threat that the twelve will be arrested if they fail to turn up for questioning, as this would amount to an insult to Islam. This new threat is most disturbing when one notes a parallel phenomenon related to the charge of blasphemy to justify all manner of abuse of power by Islamic officials in Pakistan and some Middle Eastern countries. Submitting to JAIS' threat would initiate a new trend that allows "blasphemy" and "insult" to cover a multitude of power abuse.

One can only surmise how the twelve will be questioned by JAIS and in the light of JAIS' questionable behavior so far, people can only be skeptical of any 'evidence and 'confession' that may eventually be extracted from the twelve.

PAS THE REAL TARGET OF JAIS' RAID
One final observation:

First, it bears repeating that the real issue in this controversy is not about the alleged proselytization of Muslims by Harapan Community; it is the unprecedented act of violation of the sanctity of a Church (DUMC).

JAIS would have succeeded if it manages to deflect attention from this primary issue with its machinations of charges of proselytization and insult to Islam.

Even then, despite the importance of remaining focused on the raid of DUMC, it should be noted that the main target of this present exercise by JAIS (or whatever UMNO puppet master behind it) is not Harapan Community or DUMC. The real target is PAS.

UMNO officials and Malay supremacists like PEMBELA think they have found the right tactic to regain support from the Malay electorate. By seizing on the bogeyman of 'conversion' and 'proselytization, it would catch PAS wrong-footed, put the Menteri Besar of Selangor on the defensive and if possible seriously damage Pakatan Rakyat.

If PAS fails to side with JAIS and condemns the alleged conversions, it will be accused of abandoning its role as the defender of Islam. UMNO then offers itself as the only genuine defender of Islam. If PAS publicly sides with JAIS it will lose its hard earned support from the non-Muslim electorate. Either way, PAS will be gored by the horns of dilemma set by UMNO.

Without a doubt, Islam is exploited by politicians to gain political power. It doesn't matter if Harapan Community and DUMC happen to be convenient tools in the struggle between UMNO and PAS. They are just dispensable collateral damage.

This article also appeared in Malaysia Insider on 15 Aug 2011 LINK

The 5 W’s on Drought and Hunger in the Horn of Africa - World Vision

2011-08-18T13:40:00.005+08:00

This is a heart wrenching article posted by the World Vision Malaysia highlighting the hardships of the people in Africa. Let us be thankful for the abundance of providence and protection from natural calamities that we in Malaysia enjoy. Let us not take for granted the blessings that God has given to us. As we read this article, let our hearts be moved to extend a helping hand to the suffering people of Africa through the right channel i.e. WORLD VISION MALAYSIA

There may be other organizations and people who will be rising up to raise funds to help these people in Africa. We strongly advise you to be wise in your giving. Check with others or your pastors on the background of the organizations or the persons involved in the fund raising, to ensure that all monies collected are really reaching those affected. God bless.

______________________________________

by Peter Warski, World Vision US

16 August, 5:57 pm

The number of people affected by devastating drought and hunger in East Africa, also known as the Horn of Africa, has catapulted from 7 million in March to more than 13 million now. Vulnerable children and families are subject to extreme and potentially deadly malnutrition as livestock perish, vital crops are destroyed, and diseases increase.

Informed by these disturbing statistics — as well as reports from our field offices, international media, partner agencies, and the World Vision international partnership emergency response team — we’ve compiled the following information, which answers the who, what, when, where, and why of the drought and food crisis in East Africa. Expect more posts to come concerning this crisis.

WHO is affected?
An estimated 13 million people in East Africa — 2.7 million of whom live in World Vision’s areas of operation.

Cattle-herders are hit hardest, due to lack of food and pastures for their animals. “Many of those who have been hit the hardest are pastoralists,” said Nicholas Wasunna, World Vision’s emergency adviser based in Kenya. “Where they used to trade two goats for food, they are now trading four goats for the same amount of food.”

26 out of World Vision’s 63 area development programs (ADPs) in Kenya are affected.

32 out of 68 ADPs in Ethiopia are located within some of the highly affected areas.

More than 200,000 children directly supported by World Vision live in areas under distress.

In Somalia, approximately 70,000 children within World Vision’s areas of operation are in need of emergency assistance.

Changing weather patterns now affect Tanzania, where more than 500,000 people are affected in 23 World Vision ADPs.

WHAT is the cause of the crisis? The worst drought in over 60 years is causing a major food and hunger crisis.

WHEN is it predicted to end? Meteorologists forecast that the region may not receive normal rains until early 2012, and scientists have described the year 2010-2011 as the driest period in the region since 1950-1951. “The international community needs to take immediate action, because this drought is likely to persist until 2012,” Wasunna said. “We have not seen the worst yet.”

WHERE exactly is this happening? Drought is widespread across East Africa, also referred to as the Horn of Africa, including the countries of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and now, Tanzania.

In Kenya, World Vision is working to increase access to safe water by rehabilitating boreholes and trucking water to vulnerable communities. We’re also providing nutritious food through targeted community distributions and cash voucher systems in places where food is available at local markets.

In Ethiopia, World Vision is implementing a six-month emergency response to aid more than 485,000 people severely affected by the drought. They will be provided with grain, seeds, livestock, and medical support, while vulnerable children and mothers will receive supplementary food.

The crisis is especially dire in Somalia, where there are scarce resources in the South Central region after aid organizations were forced to leave in August of last year. Many Somalis are fleeing to Kenya to receive services in overcrowded refugee camps or stay with family, further stressing already limited resources. World Vision notes a recent announcement that aid organizations will be allowed back into Somalia’s South Central region, and we will coordinate with the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations to assess the possibility of returning to the area to deliver aid.

In drought-affected communities in the regions of Somaliland and Puntland, World Vision is drilling boreholes and rehabilitating clean water storage facilities, as well as providing emergency feeding and cash-for-work programs.

Some parts of Uganda, Burundi, and the new Republic of South Sudan are also showing signs of stress from a combination of drought and increasing fuel and food prices. World Vision is closely monitoring these places as well.

WHY is World Vision responding?
With the number of people in distress and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, the situation is dire. Global acute malnutrition rates in East Africa have increased exponentially, ranging between 23 percent in Kenya, 25.5 percent in Ethiopia, and 30 percent in Somalia. These figures are far above the 15-percent threshold typically seen in emergency situations. Reports also show a sharp increase in school closures, the number of children dropping out of school, increasing separation between children and parents, and child protection challenges. The humanitarian effects of the drought and hunger crisis will have lasting impact on millions in East Africa.

HOW can you help?
World Vision is responding to this crisis through feeding programs, food distributions, agricultural training, development of irrigation systems, peacebuilding between tribes, and more. Malaysians interested to contribute, do use this donation form and indicate “Horn of Africa Drought & Hunger Crisis” behind the cheque. Thank you.

_______________________

Please go directly to World Vision Malaysia website to donate. God bless.

CHRISTIANS APPALLED BY JAIS CHURCH RAID

2011-08-09T12:54:00.002+08:00

This is the Press Statement issued by the Bishop Ng of CFM.

CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA
(PERSEKUTUAN KRISTIAN MALAYSIA)

4th August 2011

CHRISTIANS APPALLED BY JAIS CHURCH RAID

The Christian Federation of Malaysia is deeply shocked and appalled at the raid by the officers of the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) and the police conducted on the premises of the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) on the evening of 3rd August 2011.

The dinner function organised by Harapan Komuniti, a community development NGO, is an annual thanksgiving celebration to commemorate its efforts on its numerous community projects for the benefit of Malaysians.

It is ironic that such a celebratory gathering of volunteers, leaders, supporters and members of the community should be disrupted by the high-handed and repugnant actions of the state religious enforcement officers.

This arbitrary action of the JAIS and the police officers is an affront to the values of mutual respect and harmony which should be accorded to every person, regardless of religious, cultural or ethnic background in Malaysia.

We also wish to question the legality of the raid and the subsequent interrogation and harassment of the guests present at the dinner as to whether the officers were acting within their legal jurisdiction.

Christians are shocked and saddened at this deplorable action. In recent times, we have witnessed an increase in incidences where Christians have been singled out and targeted with unjustified accusations and prejudice from various groups as well as certain mainline media who have made inflammatory statements against the spirit of 1Malaysia.

We call upon the relevant authorities, including His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor, to conduct a thorough investigation over this unjustified raid.

We also call upon the government and all Malaysians to work together to build a truly cohesive and harmonious society based on mutual respect, dialogue and understanding.

In this holy month of Ramadan, we Christians wish to extend our heartfelt greetings and felicitation to our Muslim friends.

Yours sincerely,
Bishop Datuk Ng Moon Hing
Chairman and the Executive Committee,
Christian Federation of Malaysia

Community Thanksgiving Dinner Trespassed at Dream Centre

2011-08-06T13:47:00.006+08:00

This is a press statement issued by the Senior Pastor of DUMC regarding the raid at church grounds during a charity dinner.

Click here for original source : DUMC DREAM CENTRE or PRESS STATEMENT

NECF - 40-Day Fast & Prayer 2011

2011-08-01T12:19:00.005+08:00

Click on the Title for link to the Original Source

Follow this event on FaceBook. Click here for link : 40 Days fast & Prayer

Event Title:
40-Day Fast & Prayer ShareThis
07-Aug-2011 to 15-Sep-2011
Venue:
Theme: Be Agents Of Change
including 40-Day Pastors & Leaders Prayer Shield

40-Day Fast & Prayer (Klang Valley) Launch is on 2nd August, 2011 at SIBKL.
Malaysia Day Prayer Rally is on 15th September, 2011 at GA611 Bread Of Life Prayer Tabernacle

NECF MALAYSIA'S VISION FOR NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

Transformation Vision

The theme for NECF Malaysia's nation-building agenda is "Transforming the Nation through the Local Church". To realise this theme, it is our vision to see Christians within the nation live out their purpose and calling as agents of transformation in the various places and sphere of influence that God has placed and called each one to be in.
Agents of Transformation
As agents of transformation, Christians, as individuals as well as collectively as the church, must live as witnesses and instruments to proclaim the Good News and seek the welfare and good of society and the nation.
To do so, Christians found in and belonging to every sphere of society and within the institutional structures - whether in the family unit, neighborhood/communities, profession/place of work, politics/governance, human rights/justice, media/entertainment or economics - must intercede strategically, live as authentic disciples of Christ and engage in intentional mission for the purpose of transforming society and the nation.
Implementation
The focus of this Transformation Vision is to inform and direct believers' participation in every sphere of society to address and mediate change in their own social context and environment towards justice and righteousness.
This is achieved by identifying and connecting all believers, facilitating their roles and empowering them by the Holy Spirit to pursue good in every aspect of human life and interest. Christians should mediate change by proclaiming the Good News, becoming socially involved in issues plaguing society and the sphere of influence they are in and by engaging the social-cultural institutions for the common good of all people to the glory of God.
The Role of the Local Church
The local church must play the role of encouraging, nurturing and enabling believers for this work of mission in seeking the welfare of the city, society and the nation. This Transformation Vision is not intended to divert believers' involvement in the ministries and programmes of the local church. On the contrary, believers are expected and encouraged to live out authentic discipleship wherever God has placed them in, whether in churches, workplaces or the communities.
NECF Malaysia's Role
NECF Malaysia, through the Nation-Building Committee, will strive to promote this Transformation Vision by providing consultation, facilitation, assistance, networking, and other services to churches and individuals to inform this vision, initiate opportunities, impart skills and know-how and implement strategic action to realise this vision.

Minority with a major role

2011-07-28T00:07:00.002+08:00

Taken from the Star Online. It's a noteworthy article.

Sunday July 24, 2011

Minority with a major role

Insight
By Joceline Tan

Christians make up only 9% of the country’s population but their willingness to take political positions in recent years suggests that they will be a factor to reckon with in the new political landscape.

BACK in the 1990s when Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham was still a small fry in DAP politics, his party boss Lim Kit Siang told him that going into politics was not like going to church. The boss further told him he should not manage politics the way the church is managed.

Ngeh, who was then about to become the Perak DAP chief, was seen as too soft and talked like a preacher rather than a politician.

Lim’s implication then was that Ngeh, a devoted Christian, had the tendency to turn the other cheek, a phrase in Christian doctrine that discourages retaliation in the face of aggression whereas politics is often about an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

Influential voice: The Christian church has had to confront a catalogue of issues over the years and the feeling among many Christians is that their spiritual space is under siege. Picture shows a congregation of the Full Gospel Assembly Church in Jalan Klang Lama.

Ngeh has since gone from small fry to a big name in DAP but he is still as Christian as they get. He is the Bruas MP and Sitiawan assemblyman and his family members have been staunch Methodists for four generations.

But as for that thing about turning the other cheek, well, that was a long time ago. DAP politics has become almost as fierce as that seen in Taiwan, and Ngeh and his equally famous younger cousin Nga Kor Min are known as the most aggressive and combative pair of politicians in Perak.

But Ngeh’s edge over many other Chinese politicians these days is his church background. This is because the Christian vote has become a political factor in the new political landscape.

“Among the non-Muslims, Christians are among the most active and vocal in political advocacy,” said UCSI University don Dr Ong Kian Ming.

A key reason, said Dr Ong, is the way government decisions on religious matters have impacted on them over the last few years, chief of which was the court ruling on what has become known as the Allah issue. The controversy surrounding the High Court decision on the use of the term “Allah” was a tipping point of sorts for the Christian community.

More recently, said Fui Soong, CEO of the Cense think tank, the Christian community has been “completely stirred up” by the politics of Bersih.

Christian sentiment has not been this politicised in years and many congregations had prayed over the Bersih issue while church members and even some pastors were known to have joined the protest. The thing is, Bersih’s call for free and fair elections resonated with biblical concepts of justice and righteousness.

A widely circulated article by Rev Eu Hong Seng, chairman of the National Evangelical Christian Federation (NECF), defended the aims of the protest and said it was “time for the moderates to speak up, be heard and play their role in this nation.”

This weekend, former NECF secretary-general Rev Wong Kim Kong is giving a talk titled “Christian response in the midst of political confusion and uncertainty”.

The online version of the recent Catholic Herald newsletter said a lot about where its editorial team stands politically.

A sampling: GE13 our thanks to Bersih; Police tried to kill Anwar; Firm wins RM620,000 from ‘PM aide’ in cheating case; After Bersih, Pakatan sets eyes on expanding rural votes; Malaysian police arrest four for wearing Bersih T-shirts.

The church, or the Herald, at least, also seemed intent on downsizing the significance of the Prime Minister’s meeting with the Pope, going by the headings of the related news items: Catholics won’t suddenly change; Allah row drags on despite Najib-Pope meet; Holy See and Malaysia agree to establish diplomatic relations; Vatican visit alone won’t solve Christian problems.

All these are a sign of the times, it has been said.

Even the formation of the NECF itself was a consequence of the times. NECF is the umbrella body for some 20 or so Christian denominations, many of which are of the newer variety. They congregated under NECF in 1983 because of issues relating to the Malay language Bible and difficulty in finding suitable sites for worship.

NECF is one of three main Christian umbrella bodies. The other two are the Roman Catholic Church which reports to the Vatican and the Christian Churches of Malaysia (CCM) which comprises denominations such as the Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Syrian Orthodox and so on.

The three groupings claim about a third each of the total Christians in the country. Yet, together, they make up only 9.1% of the country’s population and even a smaller percentage of voters.

“They are not big but they are generally educated, articulate and willing to take positions,” said Dr Ong.

The new middle class

Many of them are professionals and part of the new middle class. They travel, are informed and their economic situation also allows them to put into action what they believe in.

They are vocal, which makes them seem bigger than they actually are and their views are easily disseminated because there is a pulpit to preach from and a captive congregation to preach to. They are also into social networking where they take their message far and wide.

In Peninsular Malaysia, they are too widely spread out to be the king-maker in an election, except perhaps in Selangor.

The parliamentary areas of PJ Utara and PJ Selatan, said Dr Ong, have the highest percentage of Christians in Peninsular Malaysia. Christians make up 20% of the population and 14% of voters in these two seats, which fell to DAP and PKR.

In the 2004 and 2008 general elections, St Francis Xavier Church in Petaling Jaya invited the opposing candidates to address church members. Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Donald Lim had won in PJ Selatan in 2004, but by 2008 the mood had changed and although Lim’s challenger was the rather unremarkable and wooden Lee Hoy Sian of PKR, the audience’s hostilities were directed at Lim.

The bulk of Christian Malaysians are still to be found in Sabah and Sarawak. Christians make up 40% of the people in Sarawak and over 25% in Sabah.

The Sibu by-election in 2010 provided the first inkling of what could happen when the Christian vote moved en masse. DAP deployed its Christian leaders like Ngeh, Teresa Kok and Hannah Yeoh to campaign among Christian groups in Sibu; PAS MPs like Khalid Samad went to meet church goers after the Sunday service; and Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin received a standing ovation for attending a forum for Christian voters.

“It was a big gesture on the part of PAS. I don’t recall an Umno MP doing that,” said Soong.

The Sibu by-election was where the game plan changed.

But no one comes close to Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud in terms of connecting with the Christians. He officiated at the opening of a new Catholic church at the height of campaigning for the Sarawak election, speaks openly of having studied Bible knowledge and is not afraid to enter a church.

Comparatively, Barisan does not have as many politicians who identify closely with the Christians, or Muslims leaders who are willing to engage the Christians. The Christian Kadazandusun leaders come closest to being the Christian face of Barisan.

Cabinet Minister and Upko president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok is one of them. He is Catholic and when he is at home in Penampang, he attends prayer meetings, supports the Monfort Youth Training Centre and helps raise funds for church groups.

Dompok has emerged as a credible leader among the Christian Kadazandusuns and he was a natural choice to accompany the Prime Minister to meet the Pope.

“Christians want to see genuine respect for our religion. In Sabah, especially, we have to be very sensitive about religious issues because people here are not afraid of opposition politics,” said Dompok.

Or as Soong put it: “The Christians used to be more complacent when they were less challenged by the political landscape. But so much has changed.”

The Christians have had to confront a catalogue of issues over the years and the feeling among many of them is that their spiritual space is under siege. It began with misgivings over issues of conversions and body-snatching and culminated in the Allah issue.

“Things like that made people decide they have to assert their political rights to defend their religion,” said NECF’s Wong.

If it is any consolation to the Barisan, the Christian vote also overlaps to some extent with the Chinese vote which the ruling coalition already has problems with. But a point to note is that the Christian vote also comprises Indians and other minority races.

“Some of the older Christians are still afraid of PAS. The younger people have less hang-ups. They have seen that PAS has been trying to be more pragmatic,” said Dr Ong.

A point of no return has been reached for many of them. They are undeterred even though they know that PAS will never abandon its Islamic agenda.

Nor do they seem worried by survey findings which show that young Muslims support the Quran rather than the Constitution as the highest law, that an overwhelming majority agree with whipping for those guilty of alcohol consumption and cutting off hands for convicted thieves.

The Christians are too small in numbers and, in the peninsula, too spread out to be considered a powerful vote.

But, said Dr Ong, they are influential because they know their rights and have become very vocal about it.

As Puah Chu Kang would say, don’t pray pray (play play) with these people. They may be a minority but they are a part of the emerging third force.

Bishop says Najib's remarks on Christians puzzling

2011-07-26T12:53:00.002+08:00

This is an article taken from MalaysiaKini, which may be of interest to our readers.

written by Terence Netto

Jul 23, 11 7:30pm

Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing today expressed puzzlement that Prime Minister Najib Razak could, after a trip to see the Pope Benedict in Rome earlier this week, still speak like as if “the sincerity of Malaysian Christians in their desire to dialogue with Muslims is subject to proof.”

“I don't want to sound carping and querulous especially after the announcement of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and the Vatican but the prime minister's latest remarks, to my mind, are nothing if not puzzling,” said the titular head of Roman Catholics in the Melaka-Johor diocese.

Bishop Paul, who is concurrently president of the Catholics' Bishops Conference of Malaysia, was referring to the Najib's remarks in Sepang yesterday that were directed at Christians.

“We wish to tell our friends, the Malaysian Christians … that if they respect us, we will also respect them,” the PM was reported by Malaysian Insider to have said.

“This is puzzling - painful even - coming from a leader who has just been to see the Pope and has announced the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Vatican and Malaysia,” said Bishop Paul Tan.

“It is as if the loyalty of Christians to the constitution of the country which states that Islam is the official region of the federation is in doubt and the sincerity of Christians in their desire to dialogue with Muslims is subject to proof,” he asserted.

“Begging the prime minister's pardon, I feel matters are the other way round. It is his government's fidelity to the freedom of religion guarantees in the constitution that is in doubt, not Christians' respect for Islam,” argued Bishop Paul Tan.

“Our subscription to the constitution ipso facto is respect for Islam as the official religion of the country. The Roman Catholics Church is a founding member of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST).

“The initiative to form the council in 1984 was a reflection of the desire of Christians to dialogue with other religions,” he reminded.

Meeting with Pope a window dressing

Bishop Paul Tan said Muslims don't want to be part of the MCCBCHST “for reasons better known to them and which I don't want to comment.”

“Yet, after our oft-repeated loyalty to the constitution and our efforts at promoting inter-religious dialogue, it is our sincerity that is subject to proof, judging from the prime minister's remarks,” said Bishop Paul Tan.

“I take no relish in saying this but say it I must: this invidious double standards in judgment of the sincerity of Christians has gone so long that if unchallenged it would become the conventional wisdom,” he asserted.

“The prime minister's trip to the Vatican, as I had feared, was so much window dressing - his latest remarks are the confirmation,” he said.

Bishop Paul Tan said: “At this point, superfluous as it may seem, I want to reaffirm the loyalty of Malaysian Christians, particularly of Roman Catholics, to the constitution which upholds Islam as the official religion of the federation.

“Also, I want to reiterate our unwavering desire to dialogue with Muslims whom I welcome as brothers in our common humanity. May we not be wise above measure and sobriety but we must cultivate truth in charity.”

Movement of the Moderates by Rev. Eu Hong Seng

2011-07-20T12:22:00.003+08:00

We received this Statement written by Rev. Eu Hong Seng, the Chairman of NECF Malaysia putting down his thoughts on the recent Bersih rally.

This article was written primarily to guide members of NECF in their prayers and in their journey as responsible non-partisan Christian citizens. However, for us as Christians in Malaysia, it is also a good encouragement to us and for us to join hands in prayer for our nation.

May the Lord bless, Rev Eu Hong Seng, Chairman NECF Malaysia for his spiritual wisdom and discernment.

Movement of the Moderates

MALAYSIA continues to face some of her darkest moments as a nation. Over the
past months, the lack of political will to mitigate racial and religious intolerance has
naturally given rise to ideologues, extremists, and radicals. All these are no different
in essence from the keris-wavers and cow-head trampling demonstrators we saw a
few years ago.

How one can rant and rave and threaten bloodshed and yet walk the streets a free
man, whilst those who merely wear yellow T-shirts can be arrested, is most
incomprehensible and unfortunate.

Last week’s Bersih2.0 rally is a culmination of frustrations of the nation’s citizenry,
and I suspect this marks the beginning of a movement of the moderates.

There is some truth in the government’s reasoning that rallying “is not our culture.”
But when tens of thousands of ordinary peace-loving people persist to take to the
streets, besides the many thousands more who could not go due to the blockades
and gridlock in the capital city, then it is incumbent on all of us to do some soul-
searching.

The arguments for the legitimacy or otherwise of the

Bersih2.0 rally reminds me of the famous “Lady Justice”.
This iconic figure wears a blindfold over her eyes while
lifting a sword in one hand and carrying a pair of scales on
the other. Symbolically, she represents fair and equal
administration of the law - without prejudice, avarice,

corruption, fear or favor.

If our leaders had likewise worn a blindfold1 and were

asked to objectively judge the calls of concerned citizens
and assess their conduct at the rally, their response would
not have been so immature.

In many parts of the world, any group or government

espousing to“clean the electoral roll,” “stop corruption,”
“use indelible ink” - would have been praised as being proactive, decent, fair-minded,

honest, rational. Strangely in Malaysia, when some people ask for these very same

practices, they are “demonized”, simply because they are “not government”. What

we witnessed on 9 July 2011 was the epitome of crude partisan politics.

Personally, I think the demands of Bersih2.0 – for electoral reforms and the right to
have a peaceful march - were not only reasonable, but impartial as well. Bersih2.0
was not pro-opposition but pro-democracy.

The people of Malaysia are maturing in democracy and we can no longer tolerate
unfair practices, corruption, vote-buying and otherwise. Being “blindfolded” like Lady
Justice also means we are color blind, i.e. it does not matter if you wear red T-shirts
or have green banners, nor does it matter if you are yellow, black or brown-skinned.

A right is a right. A wrong is a wrong regardless of whether it is committed by the
government or the opposition or whomsoever.

I know the Church in this nation to be a peace-loving people. But more importantly,
we are a people of the Book and our Book teaches us principles and values, rights
and wrongs.

We remember Christ's mandate to love our neighbors as ourselves and not conduct
ourselves in an un-Christian manner. At all times, we want to be conciliatory and be
agents of peace to ensure harmony.

We must resist the temptation to say and do things that are escalatory and
antagonistic. When highly confrontational tactics begin to replace more co-operative
approaches, conflicts escalate and more extreme personalities maneuver to become
leaders of the conflict groups.

And when this polarization degenerates till so much that is said and done makes no
sense, we then need to remind ourselves that Lady Justice, though blindfolded, is
“not gagged.” This is where the silent majority and the Church must speak up.
Scriptures mandate us to open our mouth.2

Moderates must speak up to check the damage intended by hard-liners and ensure
that democracy is not hijacked.

We do not subscribe to “political subversion” but the Church has the responsibility to
stand up against the fanatics and hypocrites bent on corrupting the moral fiber of our
people and destroying our democratic nation.

There is nobody to save Malaysia except Malaysians. It is time for the moderates to
speak up, be heard and play their role in this nation.
Rev Eu Hong Seng
NECF Malaysia, Chairman

This article is written to guide members of NECF in their prayers and in their journey as responsible
non-partisan Christian citizens

_________________________________________________
1

Remember, the blindfold on Lady Justice represents objectivity, not blindness i.e. she is blindfolded,
not blind.

Image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HK_Central_Statue_Square_Legislative_Council_Building_n_Themis_s.jpg

2

Proverbs 31:8 - Open your mouth for the speechless, .... 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, And

plead the cause of the poor and needy. NKJV

Bersihlah Negaraku! This is Ee May's Bersih story

2011-07-17T18:51:00.003+08:00

This is another well written 9.07 story

Bersihlah Negaraku! This is Ee May's Bersih story

by EeMay Lee on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 3:54am

My Bersih fight started not on 709. It started as I sat helplessly in front of the computer, watching the friends I worked with at the NGO Empower in March, the secretariat to Bersih being marched into the Black Maria by the police. Arrested. Detained. Locked up. The entire office I volunteered at being raided a week and a half before the rally.

I cried. These were girls my age! And it was the day I was supposed to go to the Empower office to collect Bersih tshirts!

Somehow, when you watch your own friends being arrested, it is not the same as reading about it in the news. It is a tight slap across your face. A wake up call. You realise you can't just sit back and do nothing as you watch this injustice affecting your own friends.

I had a friend who made fun of me for being so Bersih-centric a week before 709. But I knew deep down inside that after you watch your own friends being arrested, something stirs within you. You know you can no longer afford to be silent. Something within you mandates you, forces you to speak up.

You know you need to arise.

******************************

Two days before Bersih: I had horrible jitters. I don't mind being detained. I don't mind water canons and tear gas. But I do NOT want to be injured! There were times I just broke out in panic attacks, so afraid of what was to come. Would I be safe??? Would I be the one to sacrifice something I couldn't yet give up?

But I remembered the cry of Teoh Beng Hock's sister for Malaysians to seek justice. It broke my heart. And I knew that for change to happen in Malaysia, democratic practices first had to find its firm ground via properly administered elections.

I was doing this for Teoh Beng Hock. And the other Teoh Beng Hocks we never even got to know about.

************************

Friday noon, mum dropped me off at the KTM station and I took the train up.

Personal details had been given to lawyers. Guidelines, handbooks and legal advice had been read up.

In the train, I thought to myself, "Man...Ee May, what have YOU gotten yourself into???? SERIOUSLY????" And I honestly didn't know the answer.

But I knew it was me to stand up for what is right. Even if I was standing alone. I just HAD to do it.

***************************

I was the first to get to the hotel. Of which 12 other people came.

It was a funny experience. Most of the time I opened the door for someone, it was the first time I met these people, the people I was going to journey with.

For example, I met Indra only because I saw a message he posted on Elaine's wall whether she was going for Bersih. I immediately jump in and asked him to join us. We have never met before. And he brought two other friends along.

We bunked out in two rooms.

************************

The day of 709, we packed our tear gas amo. Baking soda water, towels soaked with vinegar, salt.

We hid our yellow shirts in the security box. We heard that police may come to raid empty hotel rooms. We dare not even bring the yellow shirts out with. Didn't want to be arrested along the way.

We slowly crept out from our hotel in twos and threes. We passed by at least 100 police just on our way to Petaling Street from the hotel.

*****************************

KL city centre had an eery weird atmosphere that day. The ghost-like streets, the deserted walkways.

There were only five different groups of people that were present- the heavy police presence, the media, the confused tourists, the bar council lawyers and of course the protesters. This left a weird funny dynamic to KL city that day.

We loitered around Petaling Street waiting for what was to come. Noticed groups of people looking exactly like us. Bersih people. Spots of them. Congregated everywhere. But nothing to bring us together.

Yet.

Until from a distance, we suddenly heard the echo of chants. Of marching. As it comes nearer, and it becomes louder.

Reformasi! Reformasi! You hear it. In awe.

And finally the march of people appear. And what a scene to behold!

PROUD BERSIH PEOPLE WALKING WITH THEIR HEADS HELD HIGH! Tearing through the police tapes. People carrying yellow flowers, yellow balloons, the jalur gemilang.

Peole holding up the BERSIH t shirt proudly up high! What was once something to be hidden, to be banned, to mean detention. Finally finding its liberation and dignity amongst these group of proud marchers.

People of different colours, tribes, languages, religions and ages. All marching in unison, as one. Shouting "VIVA RAKYAT! VIVA BERSIH! HIDUP RAKYAT! HIDUP BERSIH! BANGKIT! BANGKIT RAKYAT!"

It was a scene I will never ever forget and will continue to hold so dearly within my heart.

"WHAT AN AMAZING ENERGY!" I cried out to my friends as we cheered at the parade-like rally.

I loved how we could see the different groups slowly marching! OOOH! THE DAYAKS WITH THEIR HEAD GEARS!!! ANd oohhhh!! That's the group of the Sarawakians!!!! WITH THEIR FLAGS!!! And ohhh the PENANGITES ARE COMING!!! ANd ohhh..those are the christians!!! And this must be the Muslims!!!!"

EVeryone marched ever so proudly, knowing that they came from different backgrounds, but were all there for the same purpose, the same goal- for our voices to be heard.

It felt as if it was an Independence Day parade. Except this wasn't the celebration of independence from colonial powers. But the independence of the rakyat's voices.

We could no longer be stifled.

*****************

We joined the march as the wave swept by and carried along the pockets of people standing by. I was just so happy to be a part of it. We ended up congregating at the Maybank tower.

I met a group of neneks in their 70s from Kedah. Wow. I could not believe it! That these neneks made their way all the way from Kedah just to attend this rally. I was overwhelmed!

I met an Australian and two Canadian tourists. "Do you know whats happening?" I asked. "Yeah! BERRRRRSEEIH!" replied the Aussie. "I was just tear-gased at Deiiiteiiran Merdeiiika!" Wow, even foreigners were supporting our cause! And as soon as they were tear-gased at Dataran Merdeka, they rushed to join the crowd at Petaling Street.

I saw uncles and aunties with yellow carnations on their heads. I saw a man without legs.

I saw people like me. I saw people different from me.

Everyone was proud to be there. They weren't afraid. We were all together. United. And as Esther aptly put, "Something Najib and all his 1Malaysia campaigns could never invoke."

A PAS leader with a loud speaker called out and said that now was the time to don our yellow shirts. And around me, I astoundedly watched as people reached into their bags for their yellow shirts. No longer hidden. No longer afraid of intimidation. People weren't fearful of being seen in it any longer.

Fear that the authorities tried to imprint in us had lost its place.

*********************

Soon, the water canons and tear gas struck. What were mere moments before a celebratory atmosphere of the liberation of the people's voices turned into one of stifling by other forces.

Of literal suffocation.

I always imagined tear gas as one just of pain and discomfort. I never thought it was one of torture.

It deprives you of your basic need- oxygen. And as your lungs heave and wrench desperately for air, you gasp in poison instead.

You try to run to fight for air but there's too many people and you are smashed in between the crowds amd the wall.

Another tear gas explodes..and people start climbing up walls like insects scurrying away. Desperate, choking, suffocating. Your eyes hurt like mad and you can't see where you're running. At the same time you are drowning in open air, scrambling for the first inhalation of fresh oxygen.

My first thoughts: despair because as I screamed out for help, I look around and realised no one could help me. They were all suffering the same way I did.

I saw people choking till their mouths all foamed.

I was ready to give up myself. To fall and lose consciousness when my friend grabbed me and helped me to fresh air up a slope.

I took a while to recover from the tear gas attack and ended up sprawled at the side of the road, heaving and gasping for air.

Many people, all ages, all races, ran up to help me. I had a dozen old Malay uncles offering salt. "Makan garam! Makan!" I had 15 different water bottles given to me. I had 10 people help fan me. Another lady took a wet towel and wiped my whole face.

Another guy gave me his astma inhaler. "I don't know how to use this" I cried. "I'll teach you." "PARAMEDIK!!! PARAMEDIK!!!!" A group of them rushed to my aide. Immediately administering basic first aid. My shoes and jacket was taken off. Massages given, and lots of empathy.

I was so astounded and overwhelmed with the compassion and kindness of Malaysians, looking past race and religion. No one cared. All were just so ready to help me and do all they could for me. I was so touched. For once, I was so happy to know what it's like to live in a truly colourblind 1Malaysia. One that Moral books and Moral lessons could never show you how and prepare you for in the event of when it doeshappen- you're just knocked off with amazement.

But it wasn't long before the cries of the police coming were heard. "CEPAT! CEPAT! POLIS DAH DATANG!!!"

Oh no! We all rushed up the slope and I couldn't run much. Entirely deserted, paramedics, friend and I sought refuge at a nearby shed. No one else was around.

Soon the police arrived. " GO!!! LEAVE!! OR I WILL ARRESTS ALL OF YOU! SKARANG!!!" the leader shouted. I started to get very terrified as I was still having trouble breathing and was gasping and heaving for air. I thought the police would understand but he did not. The paramedics pleaded for me. "Tolong! Tolonglah! Dia sakit!" "Skarang sakitlah! TAPI TADI TAK SAKIT! PERGI SKARANG! KALAU TAK SAYA AKAN ARREST YOU.... NOW!!!!"

I just started to cry. Here I was, needing the basic thing I needed to live, to breathe. And the police head had no compassion to give me that. Was this what my countrymen was capable of? Cruel heartlessness?

As I started to cry silently and heaved and gasped for air, the other police officers' faces completely dropped and looked at me worriedly. Finally, after the paramedics stated that they were medics, only did the police head's demeanour entirely change. "Oh...kenapa tak cakap lebih kuat!!! SORRY!!!"

Wow. If I wasn't with the paramedics, I would have been arrested. While gasping for air.

The police left us. But another group of police came. A Malay pakcik said that we had better run because this group may not give us a chance. So we did.

We ran across the field in the rain and passed an office building. The security officer there hinted to us (I was the only Chinese within a group of Malays) to go ambil doa at the surau. So I told my new Malay friends that perhaps I could also tudung and doa kepada tuhan saya in the surau. I was too traumatized by the police and tear gas, I didn't think I could take another beating.

So I hid there with a borrowed selendang as a tudung until the coast was clear and took my time to recover from my breathing difficulties.

When the paramedics left the surau after their doa, I thanked them for their sweet kindness towards me and made them remember to add me on facebook.

"Kita jumpa pergi minum teh sama-sama kat Bangi, ya!"

**************************************

My friends and I managed to meet up again in the hotel a few hours later. We exchanged stories. Some ran to Tung Shin hospital where tear gas were fired into and police charged inside to arrest even people sitting in the hospital.

Another friend was at KL Sentral and told us how the police double trapped them at the escalator. Firing one tear gas above and as the people scarmbled to rush down the escalator, below, another FRU appeared to fire another tear gas there. Trapping the people from both sides. Where children were in the midst.

Another friend told us how they sought refuged in a church. And how a female white tourist came in, wailing, entirely traumatised by her experience of the tear gas.

We couldn't believe the stories we heard.

***************************

I wished I didn't. I wish I didn't hide in that surau even after I had recovered. Terrified. My voice successfully quelled by the authorities that wanted it so.

I wish I charged out right again and joined the other protesters all the way to KLCC.

I wished I wore yellow. And wasn't intimidated to wear it proud.

But I know I did the little that I could. I took my stand on 709.

And I know I am no longer afraid the next time I am called to. Because after you've experienced it once, you fear less.

Of the tear gas, the arrests, the intimidation.

Because the amazing unity and energy of your other Malaysian comrades who fight on with you, strangers that nothing but share the same land you were born in come in loving sweep, carries you on.

I realised at the rally that you just cannot sit quietly comfortably when you see other malaysians fight for your rights and your future. People from all races, religion. Age. Old malay neneks and datuks. Chinese aunties. Old indian uncles. Young uni students. All suffereing, risking as others sit comfortably at home.

It reminded me of what I wrote only a few days earlier:

We need to fight for a change and throughout history, fighting for change has never been cheap. In history, a whirlwind of change swept at the tipping point when the people could no longer be brutalized into fear and compliance by those who control them and crack down harshly on them. When the MASSES SPOKE OUT! There is power in the people and power in the masses!

Malaysians, 709 is not the end. We need to fear less. And fight more!

People must rise up!

Malaysians, the time to rise up is now!

BERSIH 2.0 - Was it worth it? by Abdul Haleem

2011-07-15T11:44:00.003+08:00

This is an account taken from the writer's Facebook Page : http://www.facebook.com/notes/abdul-haleem/bersih-20-was-it-worth-it/252906668059703

BERSIH 2.0 - Was it worth it?

by Abdul Haleem on Monday, July 11, 2011 at 8:34am

Was it worth it?

It has been twelve days since I have seen my wife, my son (who has just turned three) and my one month old daughter, sweet little Lana girl. If I don’t go down to see them this weekend, I will not see them for at least another week. Three days ago my wife and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary, whilst we were apart. I had a choice to go back to Penang and be with them for the weekend, but instead, I chose to go down to Kuala Lumpur to support Bersih 2.0.

I arrived in KLIA at about 10:30 in the morning. The airport looks eerily deserted. As I traveled light, I literally ran to get an ERL ticket and jumped onto the train. As my excitement grew, I looked around to see KL appear as a ghost town. Even on Hari Raya holidays, you’ll see more cars in Sg Besi Highway compared to this particular Saturday.

Walking out from KL Sentral, I was shocked to see a huge presence of FRU units and police. I assumed this is to ‘manage possible demonstrates who might alight in KL Sentral and walk towards Masjid Negara.’ I proceed to my hotel which is just across from KL Sentral. Coming out from the elevator I was greeted by two cops who are stationed there. I told them I am here to check in and they let me pass. I did notice more polis in the lobby but I was still naïvely thinking that they were only there for general safety. I checked in, went to my room and changed into something more comfortable, (not the official t-shirt though) and walked back to KL Sentral. I was surprised when I was still managed to get a ticket to Masjid Jamek.

As soon as I alight in Masjid Jamek LRT station – I could feel the atmosphere. The party is definitely ON. I remember thinking to myself that being alone may not help at all. Thus, I seek a group to join. Within 5 minutes, I noticed a crowd of about 30 people gathering at the junction of Amanah Rakyat Building. As I join them the leader starts to give a speech. A journalist told me it is Dr.Hatta Ramli from PAS who is giving the speech and he will lead this group to Stadium Merdeka.

We manage to walk to Menara Maybank without any trouble. By now the group size grew to hundreds, as we are now joined by other political figures such as Tony Pua from DAP.

Suddenly, without any warning, teargas and chemical laced water were shot and sprayed towards us. The effects were immediate and were more than I could bear. As this is my first face off with such hostility, like many hundreds around me, we ran to seek shelter. We climbed the stalled escalator towards the main entrance of Menara Maybank and worn out and almost defeated, we crumbled to the floor for a decent breath. The teargas effects were agonizing and thanks to the expertise of FRU chemical unit, the chemicals were burning my skin. There were number of Makciks hand in hand with their teenage daughters. Although people were outraged, we remained civil and this was when I learned my first two lessons of the day.

Despite the anger, frustration and pain, all of us were civil. Very civil. I instinctively knew that it wasn’t a good time to break and thrash everything that was in front of us. Although vandalism is part of mass rallies everywhere else, it wasn’t here. Not one person vandalized anything.
True unity is in action. People genuinely care for each other regardless of ethnic, religious or status differences. Everyone was ONE. Malaysians. With all due respect Mr.Najib – this is 1Malaysia with substance. Not the kind of crowd with free 1Malaysia tshirts waving the Malaysian flag whilst thinking of the free food which will be provided later.

Was it worth it to join the rally? Definitely, I have no doubt in my mind. I felt a sense of solidarity with all those around me, in a way which is almost unexplainable.

After 30 minutes of a break and recharging myself with a can of Redbull, I seek to rejoin the masses. I found a huge group just in front of our newly renovated Pudu Bus Terminal. By then, the marchers had already experienced rounds of tear gas and trigger happy water cannons. I watched in shock, as water ran down the street like a flash flood. Somehow, I manage to sneak into the crowd.

Someone told me how MP Sivarasa was negotiating with the polis and whilst he was negotiating, I had the pleasure of experiencing something, I will never forget for the rest of my life. Despite the drizzling rain, the uncertainties and the risk of being fired by another round of teargas, the crowd spontaneously starts to sing Negaraku. It was such an awesome moment in my life, that I had goosebumps.

Later MP Sivarasa informed us that the police were allowing us to march on one side of the road towards Jalan Sultan. Deep down inside, I was like ‘yeah right’. Less than 10 minutes later, he and couple of other negotiators were whisked away by the polis (they were later arrested) and all hell broke loose. Rounds of tear gas and sprays from the water cannon, force the majority of the group into the Tung Shin hospital compound. I initially thought that it was a safe bet to be in a hospital compound. Boy oh boy, it was a perfect trap for us. Yes, they did shoot tear gas inside the parking compound of the hospital.

Being cornered with nowhere to run, not less than 30 guys and girls were arrested, including me. I was handcuffed using some sort of cable tie (which I use wildly in my job), but the only difference being, this one is much larger. The cop who drags me from Tung Shin Hospital compound all the way to Menara Maybank was very civil, but not the FRU personnels, who were standing along the street. At least five of them make nasty remarks about my disability. I was grouped with not less than 50 other detainees in Menara Maybank waiting for the famous Black Maria. At this moment, I learned my next two lessons whilst waiting for the Black Maria.

I first met the now most famous Bersih 2.0 figure, ‘Aunty Bersih’, whilst the crowd were singing Negaraku. She sang along. Despite her fragile state and clearly suffering from earlier teargas effects, she holds on to the flowers. Determined and courageous, just like Ambiga. This aunty came around to the staging area where we have been held up and with full respect, she bows in front us – the official detainees. It was so touching. I learned that this is a fight for everyone. This is a fight for the future of our kids. The fight to save this beautiful nation.
Not less than 5 good Samaritans came around and passed us fresh bottled waters. They bought it and brought it to us. For some of them whose hands had been tied at their back, they even hold up the bottle whilst they took a sip. Who are they, politicians? Nope. Suhakam? Nope. Just another MALAYSIAN. I learned that this is who we are. What we are. Utusan, Ibrahim Ali and their fellow goons surely have no idea what is like to be on the ground.

Was it worth it to join the rally? Hell yeah!

After being help up for almost an hour, we were taken to Pulaupol. Man, the place has been setup for a carnival. A number of makeshift tents, mobile lavatories, temporary surau’s and being Malaysians, buffets included. This is surely a good PR job by PDRM. My estimation is not less than 500 detainees in there at this time. It was tough and as this is my first time being detained, I was calm, as I knew that being tense will not help anything at all. Our MYKAD’s has been taken away. We were allowed to use the lavatory and Surau’s but not allowed to use the mobile phone. Despite this, I continued to text my brother and other friends. I was informed that the lawyers were not allowed into the Pulaupol compound. Within an hour, all the formalities were done. No statement was taken.

The chaos really began when the cops started a roll call to return us to the MYKAD. Imagine a guy with loud speaker calling out name after name. Somehow, this is a blessing in disguise. During this roll call, every time a non Malay name comes up – the crowd cheers for him loudly, followed by a big round of applause. At about 8 pm, my name was called and I hitched a ride on PDRM buses which ferries the released ‘detainess’ back to KL Sentral. I got off just outside the main entrance of Pulaupol and joined my brother and his colleagues.

A few minutes later – something unexpected happened. Harris Ibrahim was walking out calmly from the crowd at the main entrance of Pulaupol. I can’t help myself but call out his name loudly, I went up to him and embrace him. I did see the kind of joy in his eyes knowing all his efforts had paid off and I am sure he could see in my eyes the kind of satisfaction I had, because I had joined this rally.

Was it worth it? – Do you need to ask me again? – What’s next my fellow brothers and sisters?

My Bersih 2.0 Experience by MarinaM

2011-07-12T16:44:00.002+08:00

We prayed for peace and wisdom to prevail on 9 July 2011 and here is one of the many reports written people who went to our city of Kuala Lumpur that day to be a first hand witness to what took place. Please click on the the title or the link at the end of this post to read the full article.

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2011

My Bersih 2.0 Experience

So I went.

I have to say that the night before I had many many misgivings, especially after reading about the army doing exercises with the FRU. Could the government seriously be contemplating shooting their own people? Who knows? My stomach was in knots thinking about the many young people I knew who were intent on going, including my daughter. Would I be able to forgive myself if something happened to them?

After seeking advice from various friends, I finally decided that I could not stay safely at home while my daughter, friends and colleagues faced possible danger. I had to walk with them. Besides even if I stayed home, I would have spent all my time worrying. So I had to go.

A friend who lived in the city offered to be my protector and together we devised a plan on what to do. Hubby was supportive and gave some advice on how to stay safe. My neighbours also wanted to come along. So fairly earlyish, my friend drove over to get me with no problem and we headed back into the city. Despite the roadblocks in some areas, we encountered no problems. In fact driving into KL was so pleasant because the roads were so clear. The police directed traffic where they had to and were generally cooperative ( except for one we saw arguing with a man trying to get into his own condo). We got to a roadblock in the KLCC area and my friend explained that he lived in the area and they let us through, four people in a car dressed as if we were going hiking!

From my friend’s apartment block, we walked to Times Square and parked ourselves at the Starbucks for a coffee while we waited. A cursory look around the outlet and mall revealed that many people were doing the same thing. Meanwhile a whole van of police was stationed outside the mall but after a while they all went off.

We kept in touch with various friends around the city to find out where they were and what the situation was. At about 12.30 we started to walk up Jalan Hang Tuah towards the stadium area. We were not in big groups, just people out on a weekend stroll. We thought we would encounter police in front of the big police headquarters in front of Pudu Jail but there was nothing. When we got to the corner of Jalan Hang Jebat, we saw some police motorcycles and only a couple of cops. Lots of people were just sitting on the curbside under the eye of the cops. It was pretty clear what all these people were there for.

We walked along Jalan Hang Jebat in front of Stadium Negara towards the OCM and found many other friends waiting there. Apparently at one point the cops had given chase even though there was no reason to and caught some people and hauled them off. But from then on we could sit and wait by the curb without anyone disturbing us.

Jalan Hang Jebat and the small road that led up to Stadium Merdeka stayed pretty quiet. Members of the Bar Council (who had to suffer wearing their suits in the heat just so that we could spot them easily) walked around observing what was happening. At one point one woman in a suit sat herself at the intersection to take notes. ....... (the whole article is found in the link below)

This is another excerpt from the same article :

Of course not everyone had the same experience. Here’s an account from a colleague who was in a different street:

Unfortunately my experience wasn't so benign. I was part of the marchers (along with A and others) who were effectively kettled by the police in Jalan Pudu. FRU units to the front and back of us prevented us from leaving, and we were trapped by the walls of a construction site opposite Tung Shin Hospital after the FRUs pushed us back. It was probably the worst of the hotspots because of that: when the police started firing round after round of tear gas at us, we had nowhere to run to. I think they were determined to make an example out of us, because they bloody well tear-gassed and sprayed us with water cannons when they had no reason to do so.

We were all tear-gassed at least three, four times. An NGO staffer was hit by a canister. V told me that she saw people jumping off the second floor of the Puduraya bus terminal because the police had released tear gas too close to the terminal and the wind carried the fumes into the enclosed building. When the marchers ran for shelter in Tung Shin Hospital, the police fired tear gas and water cannons INTO the hospital grounds. Later the police lured us into re-assembling on the road on the pretext of negotiating a peaceful dispersal. They arrested the MP (Sivarasa) who was doing the negotiating, then -- after ordering us to sit down so (as we realised later) we would be sitting ducks -- they fired more tear gas and water cannons at us. A, myself and our companions eventually managed to find a way out from the trap via the Santo Antonius church and (irony of ironies) the car park of the Hang Tuah police station (near the monorail station). There were so many very brave people yesterday.

To read the full article, click “My Bersih 2.0 Experience by MarinaM”

Bishop calls for a day of prayer on July 8

2011-07-04T15:56:00.029+08:00

Bishop calls for a day of prayer on July 8

by Sun Line on Sunday, July 3, 2011 at 3:46pm

Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing today declared July 8 as a day of prayer in the Melaka-Johor diocese that “a peace based on justice would prevail among Malaysians of all persuasions and beliefs.”

“Like many Malaysians, I view the day of the Bersih march on July 9 with a mixture of trepidation and anticipation,” said the prelate, who is concurrently president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia.

“I view the situation with trepidation because the forces of reaction may go overboard which may trigger a chain of consequences whose end cannot be visualised at this stage,” he explained, reports Terence Netto of Malaysiakini.

“Conversely, I see the forces of democratic expression prompted by an imperative whose constitutionality, justice and urgency cannot be denied.”

A tug of conflicting imperatives

Bishop Paul Tan said he is following events closely in the lead-up to July 9 when Bersih, an agglomeration of NGOs pushing for electoral reform, will hold a march for electoral reform in apparent defiance of the authorities' strictures against it.

“This is one of those times when you feel the tug of conflicting imperatives: in this instance, the imperative of public order and tranquility counter-posed by the imperative of justice to the electoral processes that help to guarantee that peace.

“As somebody whose persists in the faith that greater things are wrought by prayer that one can believe, this upcoming situation calls for recourse to precisely that: prayer.

“Accordingly, I call on the Catholic faithful in my diocese, indeed throughout the nation, to devote Friday, July 8, to a day of prayer and contemplation that a peace premised on justice will prevail in our country.”

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/168776

____________________________________________________________________

Another prayer event planned by Facebook Users.

Pray for Malaysia (You must have a Facebook Account to view)

Time : Saturday, July 9 · 6:00am - 6:00pm

Place : Anyplace and anywhere

Firstly, for those unaware of the events that are taking place on the 9th July 2011 in Malaysia, please click and read the link below
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Bersih_2.0_rally

Secondly, by clicking attending, may we commit to taking time on that day itself to pray for Malaysia during that day, wherever you are and anytime during that day. May this page be filled with prayers of those who care for Malaysia (whether pre/during/post event).

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chron 7:14

May His kingdom come and His will be done in Malaysia. Pray for peace, protection, and against violence.

And please spread this around too. Let us rally in prayer, shall we?

Global Day of Prayer 2011 - Malaysia

2011-06-09T12:12:00.000+08:00

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place - Acts 2:1

As dawn broke on the first Pentecost, Christians were gathered 'all together in one place'.

On this coming Pentecost, many millions of believers will again be all together –but in many places– praying in one accord for the biblical hope of Christ's glory and the transformation of all nations.

GDOP Venues for Klang Valley
June 12th, 2011 (Sunday)	English: PJEFC - 7pm BM: SIB Brickfields - 7pm Tamil: FGA, KL - 7.30pm
June 16th, 2011 (Thursday)	Chinese: Taman Midah Lutheran Church, Cheras - 8pm

The Mystery of Righteousness by Ray Stedman

2011-05-29T19:50:00.001+08:00

This is a timely article sent to us by a caring Christian. Click on the TITLE to link to the original source : GO Eagles.com

Read the Scripture: 1 John 3:6-7

It is my great hope that there is coming to all, as we study together in First John, a growing awareness that every Christian must be a revolutionary because Christ is a revolutionary. God does not like the status quo. He is grieved and hurt by racial hatred, by war, by poverty, by unhappy homes, by human strife. God is a revolutionist: he is determined to protest these conditions, whenever and wherever they occur. But more than that, he is determined to correct them, to deliver men from them. Speaking generally, it would not be wrong to say that God is in full sympathy with most of the goals of the radical groups that exist today. He sees clearly the same things against which they are protesting. But there are two things that mark the difference between God's revolutionary methods and those of the radicals:
First, God thoroughly understands and identifies the underlying cause of these problems. He names it for us. We saw it last time in Verse 4 of Chapter 3 of First John: Lawlessness! That is the problem: a revolt against reality. It is not economic distress, it is not class warfare, it is not pressure politics behind the problem of human strife and unrest. All of these are symptoms of an underlying cause. The underlying cause is, simply, man rebelling against the laws of his own being. That is the problem. It is civil war in the heart of every man, both that of the radical as well as the respectable. In other words, men have already caught the disease they are trying so desperately to cure.

The second thing that marks the difference in God's approach to these problems is that he has, himself, already done the only thing that can be done to correct this. In the mystery of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he has provided a means by which to break the grip of this lawless principle upon human beings, and to permit us to become gripped, instead, by the more powerful principle of love -- and all this done in the person of Jesus Christ, his Son. This is what John declares to us in the verse we looked at in our last study,

You know that he appeared to take away sins[or lawlessness], and in him there is no lawlessness. (1 John 3:5 RSV)

Well, what is in him, if there is no lawlessness? Obviously, the trouble with us is lawlessness. We do not like something, and so we do not do it. Even though it is the right thing to do, even though we know it is for our best interests, if we do not like it, we do not do it. So we are lawless, whether we are respectable in other areas, or radical. This is the problem. But "in him there is no lawlessness." Well, what is in him? Love. In him there is love. We have learned in Romans that love is the fulfilling of the Law, that when someone acts in genuine love he fulfills all the Law there is to be fulfilled. This explains the link between love and righteousness. Here is another one of the great terms of the gospel, righteousness. Anyone who fulfills the Law is righteous, and since love is the fulfilling of the Law, therefore, righteousness is love behaving. That is all it is.

We have already learned many times in our studies together that love is the very being of God, the essence of his nature, and thus of the nature of Christ. John says, God is love. Yet that life which is love, is also light. It illuminates, it clarifies, it dispels darkness, it breaks through our confusion and our lack of understanding and makes us see things as they are. We read of the Lord Jesus, "in him was life, and the life was the light of men," (John 1:4 RSV). So, with this threefold gift of love, of light, and of life, when Christ enters a human heart he destroys lawlessness. Lawlessness is the destruction of life, the extinguishing of light, and the violation of love. Now what could be simpler, as a solution to the problems of life than that? That strikes at the very heart of discord. That is why, as we saw last, the gospel is the greatest revolution of all times, the revolution that occurs at the deepest level of the human heart and life.

Now the great question is, "How do we lay hold of this threefold gift in actual daily practice?" How does the gift of love from Christ destroy and push out the lawlessness of our lives? In what way does it happen? We have seen it all before, but John now beautifully summarizes it for us in Verses 6 and 7 of Chapter 3:

No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he[Christ] is righteous. (1 John 3:6-7 RSV)

Here is the mystery of righteousness. John does not call it that, but Paul refers to it as "the mystery of God-likeness, or godliness" (1 Timothy 3:16 KJV), i.e., the way by which a man or a woman, or a boy or a girl, begins to live like God, to become God-like though remaining a man. To become God-like in his attitudes, his outlook, his actions and his reactions. If you read the Old Testament, you know that certain men of olden times discovered this secret. They became, to a great extent, God-like, they lived like God. Abraham, for instance, Joseph, Moses, King David, and others. They became stabilized, outgoing, love-oriented, they became men in every true sense of the word.

The secret was hidden to most. Actually, of course, it has always been the same secret, it was Christ in them. That is forever the secret of God-likeness. But no one understood that in the Old Testament days, they could not because it had not yet become historically evident. But now, Paul says (and John and Peter and others), the mystery has been made clear. Paul calls this, in Colossians, "the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints," Colossians 1:26 RSV). Let me share with you the full passage in which that occurs, as it is found in Phillips' translation.

I am a minister of the church, by divine commission, a commission granted to me for your benefit, and for a special purpose: that I might fully declare God's Word -- that sacred mystery which up till now has been hidden in every age and every generation, but which is now as clear as daylight to those who love God. They are those to whom God has planned to give a vision of the full wonder and splendor of his secret plan for the nations. (Colossians 1:25-27a J. B. Phillips)

Did you hear that? God has a secret plan for the nations. That is at once the explanation of, and the remedy for, all the evil that exists in the human race. Now he goes on,

And the secret is simply this: Christ in you! Yes, Christ in you, bringing with him the hope of all the glorious things to come. (Colossians 1:27b J. B. Phillips)

Now those are not just so many beautiful words. That is a very practical proposition which God is working out through human history, and is making available to men. Peter says the same thing in other words, in his second letter (the Living Letters translation):

For as you know Him better[i.e., Christ], He will give you through His great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: He even shares His own glory and His own goodness with us! And by that same mighty power He has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings He promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us His own character. (2 Peter 1:3-4 Living Letters)

That is the Good News. John puts it bluntly and plainly, "No one who abides in him sins." Or, to use the interchangeable term for sin which he has just given us, "No one who abides in him lives lawlessly."

Perhaps some will say, "Now, wait a minute! Isn't this a contradiction? In the first chapter, Verse 8, John says, 'If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.' And now, in Chapter 3, he says, 'No one who abides in him [Christ] sins.' How is this? And isn't it even more positively put in Verse 9 of Chapter 3, 'No one born of God commits sin; for God's nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.'" Surely this is a bit of a problem.

In Verse 6 he says a Christian does not sin; in Verse 9 he says he cannot sin, because he is born of God. Yet, again in Chapter 1, he says, "if we say we do not sin, we are liars"; and in Chapter 2, Verse 1, "if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Admittedly, we have come to one of the most difficult passages of Scripture. But yet it is a very important one, and is not a contradiction. The man who writes this is no fool, he is an intelligent person. He does not say on one page something that contradicts himself on another page. He is an inspired apostle, and writes with wisdom, intelligence, and understanding. The problem does not lie in the text; the problem, if anywhere, lies with us. We must think this through, we must give our attention to this. I propose, therefore, that we take some time with this passage because of its importance, that we might understand the working of the mystery of evil in human life, and, likewise, the mystery of righteousness which counteracts it.

We shall examine this problem in much greater detail in future messages, but, for the present, I will point out that the problem is really settled by the tense of the verb the apostle employs here, "No one who abides in him sins." He uses the present continuous tense for the word sinsto mean "no one who abides in him keeps on sinning" or lives in lawlessness. If John had wanted to refer to a single act of sin there is a Greek tense that would have made it very clear. He could have employed the aorist tense which would then have said, without any question, "No one who abides in him can commit even one single act of sin." But he did not say that. He used instead this continuous tense, and to note this will help us a great deal in understanding the passage. So he is saying, "Any one who abides in Christ does not go on living in sin." He cannot live lawlessly, he does not keep on sinning.

But now do not miss the trees because we are so intent upon the wood. How do you avoid living lawlessly? How does one come to this place of not living sinfully? Well, as he puts it, it is all in this one word, abides. "No one who abides in him sins." Remember that in Chapter 2 he had said, "And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears he may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming," (1 John 2:28 RSV). The key is abiding. We have already seen that the relationship of a believer to Jesus Christ, involves him in two aspects. Abiding in Christ is an advance on simply being "in Christ." Our Lord himself spoke of these two aspects of a disciple's relationship to him. He described them by these words, "you in me, and I in you," (John 14:20b RSV). Now those two aspects are very important:

"You in me" is to be in Christ. It is to believe, to receive Jesus Christ. It is to be joined in a union with him that results in new birth, the impartation of his life and love to us, by an act of faith. It is to receive him, to act upon his invitation to come into your life. When you do, you are "in Christ." You are in union with him. "You in me," that is the first union. But that is not the aspect John is describing here. That union does not necessarily result in being freed from the bondage of sin. Oh, it makes freedom possible, it is all potentially there, but in itself it does not result in deliverance. That is why, as we have seen, it is quite possible to be "in Christ" and go on living for a time in sin, lawlessly.

But it is the second relationship, "I in you," Christ in us, experienced by an attitude of faith, in which he makes his home in our hearts, that frees us from sin's reign. We allow him to live through us, we expect him to do so, in every moment of our experience. It is this that is called abiding, and it is this that results in freeing us from the bondage and the power of sin, so that we can live godly, God-like lives.

As you read through the Scriptures you discover certain things that are produced by this abiding relationship. In the great 15th chapter of John's gospel, Jesus said these words: "He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit," (John 15:5b RSV). So abounding fruit comes from this relationship of abiding. Abiding is abounding. The fruit, of course, is the fruit of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control. These are the marks of One who abides.

Later on in that same chapter, Verse 7, he says, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you," (John 15:7 RSV). Here effectual prayer is a result, not of being "in Christ," but of "abiding in Christ." Are your prayers being answered? Are you seeing God at work in your experience? Are the things you ask for that are clearly in line with his great program or men coming to pass in the lives of individuals for whom you pray? This is the promise, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will [within that relationship], and it shall be done for you."

Now John says, "No one who abides in him sins," i.e., lives lawlessly. He is able to live Godlike. Therefore, this relationship of abiding is very important. "Well," you say, "just what is it? This is what bothers me. I've heard all these great promises before -- and God knows I want them -- but it eludes me. What is this abiding, anyway?" Well, let us ask the Lord again for clarification on this. Once again in the 15th chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus says these words, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love," (John 15:10a RSV). That is putting it plainly, is it not? If you obey me, you will abide in me. "And he that abides in me ... bears much fruit," (John 15:5). "He that abides in me can ask whatever he will and it will be done," John 15:7). "He that abides in me will not sin," 1 John 3:6a). "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love," (John 15:10). Of course, that obedience is by faith; i.e., this is not an exhortation to give ourselves to a groveling, dogged obedience, saying, "Here's a rule and I've got to do it." No, no. It is an expectant obedience, an obedience that acts expecting him to come through to make it a joy. That is the whole secret. It is by faith.

Well, how does this work in practice? Since Christ is in you, if you are a believer, you are in him and he is in you, then you need but set yourself to do what he says, expecting him to act, and the minute you start doing it, the power to carry it through will be there, to make you able to do it and to make it a joy. It is like those Israelites in the Old Testament who were told to cross first the Red Sea and later the river Jordan. Here was a body of water before them, but the command of God has to go through the water. It looked like suicide, utter foolishness. The worst thing they could do would be to plunge headlong into the depths of the waters. But, on each occasion, as the children of Israel stepped down and their feet touched the water, the waters parted and they went on through. It was when they acted on what they were told to do, despite any appearance that anything was happening, that it happened. Of course, this was not simply a thoughtless, spectacular miracle. It was a parable, designed to teach us how God acts.

When we hear his command to us, whether we feel like it will work or not, the whole idea is to obey. Act on it! Do what he says! When we do, we discover that the minute we begin to act, the power of God acts also. What we are hoping to accomplish will be accomplished. It works out as God said. We discover that God is at work within us. That is what Jesus means, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love," (John 15:10a RSV). This is also what Paul is saying to the Philippians. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure -- the thing that pleases him," (Philippians 2:12).

Do you find it difficult to love some, for instance? This is one of the most nagging, persistent problems of life. Someone treats us cruelly, or indifferently, and our natural reaction, stemming from our tie with Adam, is immediately to strike back, to avenge ourselves, to cut them off, don't speak to them, or to say something caustic. We wish to avenge ourselves. But that is not the command of the Lord. His word is crystal clear. "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord," (Romans 12:19). Do not avenge yourself. He says, "Love your enemies... Do good to those who hate you and despitefully use you. Pray for your enemies," (Matthew 5:44). "Love one another," (John 13:34, 15:12, 15:17, et al). But you do not feel like doing that; in fact, that is the last thing you feel like doing. You are like those priests who did not feel like putting their feet in that cold, dirty water of the Jordan River, either. But God had said to do it. And when the soles of their feet touched the water, they parted, and the people went on through.

So, when you set yourself to act toward this individual whom you are finding it difficult to love as love would act; if you do something that love would do to that individual; if you respond to him as those who love him would respond; if you obey God, in other words, you will find that if you are expecting him to act, he will. The feeling of love will follow your act instead of preceding it, and you will discover that your whole relationship, your whole attitude, to the individual is different. You will see him no longer as an obstacle standing across your pathway, opposing what you want to do, but you will see him as a person with a problem -- a problem like the problems you have had -- who needs understanding and acceptance. Then the problem will clear up, as your problems have cleared up.

Are you tempted to lust? Are you tempted, in this sex-saturated society, to give way to lusts and desires of the flesh that you know are wrong? Well, there is plenty of it around today and in respectable circles, too. But the word of God is, "Flee youthful lusts, because they war against the soul," 2 Timothy 2:22 KJV). It is not that sex is wrong. Sex is wonderful. Sex is what God made it to be; it is his gift to humanity. But the improper use of it is wrong. So God says, flee youthful lusts because they will destroy you, they war against you. Well then, obey them! Turn from them and turn to him in expectant faith and you will find there is an immediate sense of release, a flood of cleansing, purifying, love from him that makes your renunciation not an act of dogged, dismal determination, but an act of delight, of gladness and freedom. What a difference!

Even an unregenerate man, a non-Christian, if he wants to for one reason or another, can set his will against doing something that is harmful or wrong or evil, and can stop it. Certainly he can. But he will not have any particular joy in doing so. He will be acting from a grim, dismal determination to walk in this way, with no compensating light or gladness. But the difference for a Christian is that when he so acts, Christ is there. We obey him, and thus we abide in his love. Every act of renunciation against these forces that would destroy us results in an accompanying sense of glorification, of joy, causing us to rejoice in God's grace.

If you have him, you can do these things. If you cannot do them, it is because you do not have him. That is why John goes on to add here, "no one who sins has either seen him or known him." That is, so strong is our link with him, and so powerful are the cleansing tides of his life in us, that if we say we have Christ in us and do not show some evidence of it, in increasing degree, then we have been deceiving ourselves. We do not have him at all. We have never seen him or known him. If you can live content with evil, without a struggle, deliberately doing what the Word of God declares is not right; if you can go on thus, and it does not particularly bother you, you have no struggle with it, then you have no right to name yourself a Christian. That is what John is saying. You have not seen him, you have not known him. Jesus Christ came into the world, and into your life, to destroy lawlessness. That is his goal. That is the revolution he is set on bringing to pass. If this is not happening, then you do not have him, for he will not change his purpose. He is moving to this end. This is what he came for, and this is what he will do.

You are only kidding yourself if you think you have him because you know many Bible verses or you can recite certain creeds, you have been attending church all your life, or your whole family is Christian. You are deceiving yourself. No, one who lives lawlessly has either seen him or known him. So he concludes in Verse 7,

Little children, let no one deceive you. (1 John 3:7a RSV)

Oh, they will try. There is much attempt today to put on a pious front and make it look real, but do not let them kid you. The true sign is this: "He who does right is righteous." Remember, righteousness is love behaving rightly. He who acts that way (and that kind of love always involves self-sacrifice), it is because he is linked to the Righteous One. There is no other way to act righteously than that:

He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous. (1 John 3:7b RSV)

It is interesting that in the original language here the pronoun he is literally, "that one." It appears also in Verse 5. "You know that 'that one' appeared to take away sins." And Verse 7, "Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as 'that one' is righteous." It is almost as though John is seeing Christ standing there. So close is he to him, it is as though he were standing right there, and John refers to him as "that one." He who does right is righteous because that one is righteous, and he is living in him. Because he is living in him, there must be righteousness breaking out from time to time in that individual's life. It has got to be there. When a person discovers this and learns to abide in him, all the time expecting that one to be working in him, then he soon learns he cannot do anything without him. But he discovers that with him, he can do anything he asks. That is why Paul says, "I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me," Philippians 4:13).

Prayer:

What a wonderful revolutionary thing this is, our Father. What a glorious transformation of human life is involved in this. How it searches us out and probes us, plumbing the depths of our conscious as well as our unconscious life, doing radical things to us, changing us from the inside out, from the bottom up. We thank you, Lord, that this is the continuing experience of those who come in contact with this glorious, wonderful Person, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and walks among men, who offers himself to us for this very purpose. Make us all here living examples of this revolutionary movement, challenging the status quo, refusing to accept things as they are, because we have caught a vision of things as they might be. We ask this in Christ's name, Amen.

Berita Calvary

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