MULTIPLE police reports have been lodged against Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Wilfred Madius Tangau for allegedly inciting religious hatred by claiming about a mass conversion to Islam undertaken some 40 years ago.

Groups representing political parties and civil society movements sought all their members from branches statewide to lodge reports against Tangau.

The groups including the youth bodies of state Umno and PAS and civil societies such as Suara Masyarakat Sabah and Persatuan Prihatin Sahabat Sabah said Tangau’s statement is unbecoming for a lawmaker given Sabahans are generally highly tolerant and harmonious.

Tangau had written a post on Facebook yesterday in which he recalled a Sabah leader who allegedly organised the mass-Islamisation of Tambunan folks 38 years ago.

He said many Sabahans were forced to convert to Islam by the leader.

Sabah Umno Youth chief Abdul Aziz Julkarnain wants the authorities to charge the Tuaran MP for sedition for making such a claim.

“If it is true these folks had been threatened and forced to be Muslims, why there had been no police reports lodged against the exercise,” he said after lodging a police report.

Also present was Sabah PAS Youth chief Zulzaim Abidin.

Meanwhile, Persatuan Perihatin Sahabat Sabah leader Mohd Zulfikar said a person cannot be forced to become a Muslim.

“The conversion of a non-Muslim to Islam must be done on the basis of free will and willingness. This is why we don’t see any logic in Tangau’s statement,” he said.

Tangau’s Facebook post was in support of Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal’s visit to Tambunan where he had said “racial and religious spats should end as it benefits no one.”

Tangau also said Shafie, being a Muslim leader, had given RM1 million for the refurbishment of a church in the district unlike the past leader.

The deputy chief minister did not reveal the identity of the past leader in his posting.

However, the offended groups today said Tangau could be referring to former chief minister Mustapha Datu Harun, who held the post from 1967 to 1975.

Mustapha had previously been implicated in instances of mass conversions of the KadazanDusun Murut communities. – July 22, 2019.