While welcoming the 10-point solution stated by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Idris Jala, Christian leaders would like clear directives on implementation.

“It is easy to make a statement but when it comes to implementation that could mean something else,” said Sam Ang, secretary-general of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF).

According to Ang, the Church in Malaysia has had bad experiences before. “Our Alkitab had been detained for two years. We do not know who wields the power, whether it comes from the top, or from the bottom,” he said.

While Ang sees the Government’s 10-point solution as a way forward, he stresses that he would like to see genuine steps in carrying out these solutions.

“This is the same position we were in, in 2005,” the Christian Federation of Malaysia chairman, Bishop Ng Moon Hing said, referring to an agreement made to have a cross sign printed on the front covers of all Alkitab.

“The Government kept pestering us, saying people are confused. We told them they shouldn’t be confused. The word “Alkitab” shows that it is a Christian thing and not any other thing.”

According to Ng, CFM and other Christian leaders had voluntarily agreed then, to print a cross sign on all Bibles printed in Bahasa Malaysia, so that no one would mistake the Bibles for anything else. 

“Unfortunately, the Home Ministry didn’t follow the agreement,” he said. “They kept compounding our Bibles. We tried to arrange for a discussion with them, but they didn’t want to meet with us. Only now, after we’ve made some noise do they respond.

“They say that our Bible is a threat to national security. That is rubbish! We have never threatened anybody. Now they want to meet us to talk. We have been asking to talk for a long time. They keep changing the laws and making decisions on their own without consulting us.

“We’ve all been caught by surprise,” said Ng. “We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Today a statement comes out but there’s no directive. We don’t know whether the implementation will be the same or not.”

The Catholic Church, meanwhile, is still in discussion over their response to the 10-point solution. 

According to the Ecclesiastical Assistant in the Archdiocesan Ministry of Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue (AMEIA), Father Michael Chua, the discussions will include an analysis of each component of the 10-point solution as well as two questions: whether the printing of the label “A Christian Publication” on the Alkitab is acceptable and whether the Catholic Church is agreeable to the “two standards policy” (referring to the different conditions placed on printing and importing of the Alkitab in East and West Malaysia).

Minister of Home Affairs, Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, was also reported to have said that no agreement was finalized by the Home Ministry with regards to the 10-point solution, as well as usage of the word “Allah” in locally printed Bibles.

In Sarawak, James Redas Noel, the state director for Bible importer, The Gideons, is still awaiting word from local Christian leaders to collect the 30,000 Bibles held in Kuching.

“At the moment, I am trying to consult the other local Christian leaders to take the appropriate action. I want to take the Bibles, but they are telling me not to hurry into it. There are bigger issues involved,” he said.

In response to the 10-point solution statement, Lee Min Choon, president of the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) said in a press statement that “BSM hopes for the Government’s cooperation to replenish supplies of the Alkitab to Bahasa Malaysia speaking Christians who have been without these Scriptures for the past few years” and also that the government will consult BSM on any further issues concerning the Bahasa Malaysia or Bahasa Indonesia Bibles.

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