by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday, February 13, 1990:
Call on MCA and Gerakan to explain why they are not prepared to publicly endorse and support the MCCBCHS Memorandum and nation-wide Campaign to reject the imposition of Islamic Laws on Non-Muslim Malaysians.
The Malaysians Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Sikhism (MCCBCHS) has completed the first of its two-prong national campaign to reject the imposition of Islamic Laws on Non-Muslim Malaysians. This is the three-day prayer in the nation’s churches, temples and homes from Feb. 9 – 11 with the three-fold objective of:
(a) Freedom to profess and practise one’s religion;
(b) Freedom from the application of the Syariah to Non-Muslim Malaysians; and
(c) Peace and understanding between peoples of the different faiths.
The second prong of the MCCBCHS campaign is a nation-wide signature campaign to request the government to ensure that the Syariah is not imposed Non-Muslims in Malaysia.
The DAP takes a very serious view of the fundamental and Constitutional rights of Malaysians to freedom of religion, and this is why the DAP has openly taken a public stand expressing full support to the MCCBCHS Memorandum and campaign.
Political forces will decide on degree of religious freedom in Malaysia
In the final analysis, the degree of religious freedom available in Malaysia, and to what extent this fundamental Constitutional right of all Malaysians, and in particular Non-Muslims Malaysians, will suffer erosion and encroachment, will be decided by the political forces in the country.
This is why DAP is very disappointed that although the MCCBCHS has conducted its national campaign for over a month, not a single Barisan Nasional component party, and in particular the MCA and the Gerakan, has made public its stand on the MCCBCHS campaign.
The MCA and Gerakan President should explain why their respective parties dare not even express public support for the MCCBCHS campaign.
Last Friday, I suggested in Penang the convening of a Three
“Why MCCBCHS Rejects the Application of the Syariah on Non-Muslims” and MCCBCHS nation-wide campaign, as on this issue I was prepared to meet MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik, and Gerakan President, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, and place and any time.
Unfortunately, both Liong Sik and Keng Yaik steered clear of my proposal of a Three Lims Political Summit on the MCCBCHS Memorandum and nation-wide campaign to reject the imposition of Islamic Laws on non-Muslims.
If Liong Sik and Keng Yaik’s response to my proposal for a Three Lims Political Summit on the MCCBCHS Memorandum and Campaign is negative, they should at least explain why MCA and Gerakan are not prepared to publicly endorse and support MCCBCHS Memorandum and Campaign.
Is this because the MCA and Gerakan national leadership have taken a policy decision that the MCCBCHS has misguided and wrong in its 40-page Memorandum as well as in its Campaign and that the MCCBCHS Memorandum and Campaign are not worthy of MCA and Gerakan support at all?