SARAWAK church leaders should not have cancelled the “All Borneo Revival Convocation” as the event had received the blessing of state leaders and Christians formed the majority in the east Malaysian state, a federal minister said.

National Unity and Integration Minister Joseph Kurup said that the church gathering should have gone on as planned in Miri later this month.

Following the outcry of Malay groups over the “Jerusalem Jubilee”, which was to be held in Malacca next week, Sarawak church leaders cancelled the Christian event in Miri.

Kurup said the banning of the celebration in Malacca by the authorities was understandable but it shouldn’t have happened in Sarawak.

However, it did show that Christian leaders in Sarawak were sensitive to the feeling of Muslims in the state.

“Although I feel that the Muslims in Sarawak have no issues with the event, the Christian community has shown great respect by cancelling the event.

“And since the celebration was cancelled by the organisers on their own accord it should be left as it is,” Kurup told The Malaysian Insight.

Kurup also said that during the holy month of Ramadan many Christians join their Muslim brothers in buka puasa functions as a show of great respect.

“Over here, we all feel the same and have total respect for all people, irrespective of race or religions,” he said.

The cancellation of the Christian gathering in Miri was announced even as Sarawak leaders backed the event in the name of religious freedom as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

The gathering in Malacca was to be hosted by The Calvary Life Assembly (Chinese), a local Christian denomination, which would have featured several foreign evangelist speakers.

The same speakers were also scheduled to give speeches at the “All Borneo Revival Convocation”, which was supposed to be held in Miri from June 22 to 25.

An organising committee member of the “All Borneo Revival Convocation” said they cancelled the event because the same speakers who were supposed to deliver speeches in Malacca were also scheduled to speak in Miri.

“The authorities didn’t want the speakers to come, so we can’t do anything. We were left dry. That why we cancelled the event.

“The speakers also told us that they didn’t want to upset the Malaysian authorities and create a bad impression. If they cancelled the Malacca event, then how can they come to Miri?” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the home minister, banned the “Jerusalem Jubilee” in Malacca.

Zahid said the event in Malacca would hurt the sensitivities of Muslims if it was allowed to go on, especially during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. – June 11, 2017.