Christians recite prayers at function attended by Sarawak CM, Muslims

Desmond Davidson Desmond Davidson Updated 6 years ago · Published on 7 Sep 2019 5:43PM · 11 Comments

Christian priests have recited prayers in the presence of Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg and other Muslims during a lunch-time event today. The state government is ignoring a Jakim directive to not have Muslims and non-Muslims pray together. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, September 7, 2019.

SARAWAK reinforced its disregard to the Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) directive forbidding Muslims and non-Muslims from praying together by having an opening prayer at a lunch function attended by the chief minister.

Catholic Archbishop Simon Poh recited the event’s opening prayer, while Anglican Bishop Danald Jute delivered the “doa makan”, both in the presence of Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg.

The lunch today was organised to thank Abang Johari by those who had received financial assistance from the Unit for Other Religion (Unifor).

Sarawak had on Thursday said the Jakim directive does not apply in Sarawak.

Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office in charge of Islamic affairs Abdul Rahman Junaidi also said the reciting of doa at state government functions will continue, even in the presence non-Muslims.

Abang Johari in his address today said he will continue to stand against any assault on the universal values of respecting the religious beliefs of other faiths.

“Anything against the norm is morally wrong,” he said, adding that he will protect the people in the state from the religious extremists from the peninsula.

The stand of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has the support of Sarawak Pakatan Harapan (PH).

State PH chief Chong Chieng Jen said the Jakim directive “must not be followed in Sarawak”.

The federal domestic trade and consumer affairs minister said while Sarawak is empowered to not comply with the directive, people of different faiths praying together has never been an issue in Sarawak.

Chong said these prayers are the hallmark of Sarawak’s religious harmony.

“This directive will only bring about more racial and religious segregation in Sarawak and is not conducive to racial harmony in the state.

“On this account, Sarawak PH supports the Sarawak state government’s decision to simply ignore the directive and maintain our current practices,” he added. – September 7, 2019.

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Comments

  • i doa a sarawakian would lead this country one day.

    Posted 6 years ago by . . · Reply

  • A Sarawakian or a Sabahan should be the next Prime Minister, after GE15. After 62 years of West Malaysian (Malaya) Prime Ministers, let us give them the chance to lead our country (Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah) to a New Malaysia.

    Posted 6 years ago by Sidney Karan · Reply

  • The minister who approve separately reciting prayers better resign immediately bcos he has no wisdom to lead the country. Agreed that a Sabahan or A Sarawakian should be the PM in line.

    Posted 6 years ago by James Wong · Reply

  • This alone I will give you my vote in the coming State election. Kudos! Abang Johari

    Posted 6 years ago by Elyse Gim · Reply

  • Abang Johari for next Prime Minister of Malaysia!

    Posted 6 years ago by Sidney Karan · Reply

  • Why should the Jakim directive apply in a state that is 46% Christian? The way things are going in the Semenanjung, Sarawak should leave Malaysia for good. They may end up becoming the next Singapore.

    Posted 6 years ago by Gerard Lourdesamy · Reply

  • Well done, Sarawak. Keep it up and do it as often as necessary. What a shame that the Federal Government itself (Jakim is a Federal Govt. agency in the PM's department) is driving wedges between Malaysians of different faiths while with another breath it talks about UNITY. And why is the Prime Minister keeping so quiet about this anti-national directive by Jakim? His silence would suggest that he is giving it tacit approval. Why, my dear PM, are you allowing Jakim to create a caste system using religion? For whose good is this in multiracial Malaysia?

    Posted 6 years ago by Ravinder Singh · Reply

  • Wonderful that ordinary Malaysians carry on being one people despite those who seek to divide the nation along religious or ethnic lines. But a little semantic correction, Christians say prayers not recite them. There is one main difference here. Poems are recited because they are written by others. In Christianity only one prayer was handed down for us to say, thats the Lords Prayer. Some famous people have written prayers that have been spread amongst Christianity, such as the prayer by Saint Francis of Assisi. To recite lacks the commitment of the soul, to say makes it your own.

    Posted 6 years ago by Malaysia New hope · Reply

  • Peninsula muslims think that East Malaysia is backward . The joke is who is more backward to have their life dictated by human fraud

    Posted 6 years ago by S L · Reply

  • East Malaysian leaders should play a more prominent role in the Nation's political development. Kudos to Sarawak and Sabah

    Posted 6 years ago by Super Duper · Reply

  • Jakim is full of jokers, racial and religious fanatics. Pls ignore them and their directives

    Posted 6 years ago by Maniraju Maruthai · Reply