Government ‘defaces’ Malay bibles

(March 17, 2011) Christian and other leaders are outraged at conditions imposed by the government in return for the release of thousands of bibles destined for the eastern territories of Sabah and Sarawak. The government has agreed to release 30,000 bibles detained for two years at the port of Kuching and another 5,100 bibles held in Port Klang, near Kuala Lumpur, on condition that they be stamped with the official seal of the home ministry with words saying it is for Christian use only, and that each bible is stamped with a serial number to control its circulation. Some Christian leaders say the issue is linked with a ban on the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims. The Bible in the Malay or Indonesian language, called “Alkitab,” uses the word. Christians in Sabah and Sarawak, most of whom are indigenous people who use the Malay language in their worship and when studying the catechism, say their families often include people of different religions so their bibles might also be read by non-Christian family members and relatives. According to media reports, the home ministry on March 16 stamped the bibles stuck at Port Klang without the agreement of the importer, the Protestant-run Bible Society of Malaysia. The stamping was described as “defacement” of the bibles.