Malaysian lawyers tell hoteliers to ignore letter to remove Bibles from rooms

:April 30,2014: Malaysian lawyers in Pahang have told hoteliers to ignore the letter to remove Bibles from hotel rooms. Lawyers have urged hoteliers in Pahang - third largest state in Malaysia , to ignore the directive from the state Islamic council to remove non-Muslim (like Bible) religious materials from their premises, as it has no authority over such matters. But it’s a sign of a growing religious intolerance. The constitutional and administrative lawyers said the Pahang Islamic and Malay Customs Council was not in any position to penalize any individual or company ,as hoteliers were not licensed by religious bodies.
It was reported that the state religious body had sent a letter to 147 hotels across the state since March 6, warning that those who defied the directive could be subjected to legal action. If convicted, those involved could be fined up to 5000 Malaysian Rs. or jailed for up to two years, or both.
In Malaysia, a nation of more than 28 million people, mostly Muslims (60 per cent), Christians are the third largest religious group (after Buddhists) with more than 2.6 million members.
Source: AsiaNews