Updated : Apparently, Malaysiakini has also featured the issue with The Herald..
Over the weekend, I have picked up two rather worrying news from Anil Netto’s blog. The first one is The Herald being warned by the Home Affairs Ministry.
The Home Affairs Ministry has issued a show-cause letter (on 16 July) to the publishers of The Herald, an editorial in tomorrow’s edition of the Catholic weekly newspaper has revealed.
The paper was accused of committing two offences:
* it has not followed the concept of “focusing” on religion
* it carried an article that purportedly degraded the religion of Islam
The second one is another publication, Catholic Asian News being warned as well :
The Catholic Asian News magazine has also received a warning letter from the Home Ministry. The letter was received some time in early July.
And it’s about the same reason as the warning letter to The Herald: for publishing articles which touch on politics.
I personally feel that paranoia, suspicion and fears of the unknown have reached a new height. It is like everyone is afraid of everyone and things are bursting at its seams. There is nothing more crippling than fear itself.
As far as I know, the above two publications are meant for Catholics only. I do pick up The Herald and CANews from church. I don’t see how these publications can affect anyone else. So, why do the Home Affairs Ministry need to dictate what we read? Have we come to a stage where we do not have freedom to read what we like anymore? Do they realise that there are far more damaging articles available online which are freely available? Why pick on these Catholic publications?
Awareness that politics affect our daily lives come naturally to every rakyat of Malaysia. It doesn’t matter if we belong to a faith or not. Whether we like it or not, we are part of this dirty, scandalous, revolting thing call politics. After all, it is our taxpayers money that runs it and it is our votes that determine it.
Back in January 2008, though I am not interested in politics, I was drawn to it because I feel that Faith and politics intertwined and we have our roles to play as Catholics. I said that it is not enough for us to just pray and keep quiet.
So, whether the Home Affairs Ministry care to acknowledge or not, politics are very much part of every Malaysian’s life, irrespective of their religions. And if any issues were mentioned in our Catholics publications, it is merely to bring awareness to us to be kinder, more helpful, more tolerant and more understanding.
Threfore, I pray that people will be less edgy, touchy and freaky. This act of latah-melatah behaviour really grates on my nerves and believe me, it takes a lot of discipline on my side to stay quiet over them. I have to find every ounce of self-constraint not to cuss.
I hope Catholics will not become doormats from all these and keep turning the other cheek. First they take away the ‘Allah’, next they say cannot talk about anything but religion, after that what? We cannot practise?
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