KOTA KINABALU: Sabah activists are outraged by reported remarks attributed to former Perkasa leader, Zulkifli Noordin, spreading hate messages in his blog against Christians and the Church.
“We support freedom of worship, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, and freedom of choice in religious matters,” said the UK-based Borneo Rights International chairman Kanul Gindol to FMT in Kota Kinabalu. “Zulkifli had other motives when he threatened a May 13against those seeking justice for their faith.”
Kanul signed off on May 13 by saying that the less he said, “the kinder it would be”.
He was referring to Zulkifli apparently taking offence that many people continue to question the recent Federal Court decision which went against the Herald, the Catholic weekly printed in four languages including Malay.
Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPIM), another UK-based NGO on human rights issues, echoed similar views in Kota Kinabalu.
“Zulkifli must not think that he can rattle us in Borneo by raising the specter of another May 13to unleash a bloodbath, this time between Christians and Muslims, if we continue to question the Federal Court decision,” warned BoPIM President Daniel John Jambum. “Nothing of this sort (May 13) will happen in Sabah and Sarawak.”
It’s interesting, stressed Daniel, that Zulkifli equated respect for the Federal Court decision as synonymous with respect for the Federal Constitution.
Activists urge authorities to act firmly against Zulkifli and other trouble-creators
The crux of the matter, continued Daniel, was that the Federal Court was in violation of the concept of Rule of Law, the Principles of Natural Justice, and the Constitutional stipulations on equality before the law, freedom of worship and secularism.
“No one will respect a Federal Court brazenly indulging in creeping desecularisation and creeping Islamisation to rewrite the Federal Constitution,” fumed Daniel. “This is a Court which has lost its credibility and legitimacy.”
The BoPIM Chief urged the authorities to act firmly against Zulkifli and other trouble-creators of the same bent of mind.
