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Herald language ban unconstitutional, say Catholic lawyers

Posted by admin

Monday, 05 January 2009 15:04

(The Malaysian Insider) The Catholic Lawyer’s Society of Kuala Lumpur claimed today that the Home Ministry’s decision to ban the Bahasa Melayu edition of the Herald is unconstitutional.

Society President Mabel Sebastian said Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar’s decision to bar the Malay edition inside the weekly paper contravened Article 3(1), 10(1)(a), 11(1) and (3) of the constitution which “grants the right to freely practise one’s religion, the general freedom of speech and expression and the right of every person and religious group to propagate and manage its own religious affairs”.

This new prohibition issued last week is to last until the High Court makes a determination on the current contest on the use of the word “Allah” in the Herald as a whole.

The lawyers’ group insists that the case and this new government edict are unrelated, and points out that the court has not ordered any prohibitions for the Malay edition.

Sebastian explained that the East Malaysian states had three times as many Catholics as the peninsula – 715,000 compared to 220,000 – and many of them use Malay as their medium language.

The minister is therefore denying 750,000 people the right to religious instruction, she claimed.

The society emphasises that “Malay is the national language, and not a single Malaysian should be deprived of the right to speak, read, write and even pray in our national language”.

The Kuala Lumpur group stressed that this development is a step backwards and asks the ministry to “revoke the language ban and issue an unconditional publication and printing permit for the Herald”.

Comments (31) Add Comment

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written by Observer, January 05, 2009 15:13:09

It is interesting to note that a large number of those in East Malaysia are Bumiputera Catholics.

Looks like special privileges don't always go to bumiputeras. Can't even use their own national language.

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written by Milo, January 05, 2009 15:32:55

Wow! Looks like our govenment has changed Bahasa Malaysia into a Islamic-based National Language! That is the only logical reason I can think of for the ban.

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written by supplier, January 05, 2009 15:46:29

That what the gomen is good at.

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written by Motherchell, January 05, 2009 16:02:10

Ironically the govt plays with the bigotry forces to say Bahasa must be an International language . In any Nation when one wants to translate any literary work in their own local Language the Govt of the day will only be too proud . Here we have a bunch of idiots in the HOME ministry advising otherwise.

This is the fault of the True Souls who hold Bahasa dear and don't do a thing to question their so called elected Reps like Albar. He is more a stone aged leech than a Leader.
http://sjsandteam.*********.com/

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written by Democrats, January 05, 2009 16:02:14

Alamak....and yet they want to promote Bahasa Malaysia as the national language and medium of communication.

This home ministry and Syed Hamid is really making Islam look so Kiasu and Kiasi and inferior. Are you afraid of Muslim wanting to convert just because they read the articles? Islam doesn't need you to protect it. Sorry to say this and in no way of trying to insult my muslim friends and others out there, but if it really needs an idiot like him to protect it, then something is really wrong with than religion.

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written by ahmadneil, January 05, 2009 16:02:32

The gov't have make the malays look stupid many times but this times the malays have been make to look the stupidiest becos the gov't thought that the malays will be converted to Christianity by just overhearing the priest preaching the mass in Bahasa Malaysia.This is a insult to the intelligence of the malays.Such a malu thing can be done to the malays and the malays have never response.Where is Ahmad Ismail and Khir Toyo!Is it what they call pea size brain that really exist!

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written by ahmadneil, January 05, 2009 16:05:37

The malays should allow the christians masses to be said in Bahasa Malaysia so that they too can understand what the church is preaching.After all God are all the same.It's just the name is different.

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written by OVERLORD, January 05, 2009 16:09:35

our constitutional rights simply doesn't exist under BN rule...what blatant misuse of power and authority!!!somebody should empty this yemeni scumbag into the rubbish bin!what an insult to muslims in malaysia to assume that by reading the Herald,their faith would be challenged..as far as i know, the paper is only circulated within the catholic community...
On another note, please refrain from twisting a manipulating facts..the bottom line is that 'ALLAH' = religion , BAHASA MELAYU = language..both separate entities....

it would be interesting to know what is PAS stand on the matter...now is a good time to show how far the party has come...

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written by SocratesI, January 05, 2009 16:11:44

All Muslims are also Christians in that they accept all the prophets in the Bible and the Biblical accounts in the Bible as gospel. The only differences are that they see Jesus Christ as a prophet and not the Son of God, and the Christians do not accept Prophet Muhammad as a prophet.

Therefore, there is nothing wrng for the Bibles to be available in BM !! What a stupid, ignorant Govt. we have ... once a Barisan Najis always a Barisan Najis !!

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written by loosecannon, January 05, 2009 16:18:50

Now isn't this a good reason why Bahasa Malaysia will never be accepted outside the country?

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written by exzonerator, January 05, 2009 16:36:45

Are they also banning the word "Syaitan"? Must be fair mah!

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written by ahmadneil, January 05, 2009 16:40:26

Shit Hamid is trampling on the rights of the Christian community.For this I ask God to punish him by giving him dysentery.

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written by alpha100, January 05, 2009 16:56:42

This action shows that Home Ministry is bias and not serving Malaysian as a whole! If its due to little napoleon, he should be ask to resign and be replace by a Malaysian who seek to serve irrespective of race, religion and culture!
SH should be ask to resign!

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written by borneoman, January 05, 2009 17:11:28

tuan melayu umno led bn is not invisible and if they continue to discriminate they will also be digging their own political grave and the citizens will happily bury them come the next ge.

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written by borneoman, January 05, 2009 17:15:43

alpha100,the hm should not only resign but his brainless skull should be detached from his body,scalped,smoked and hung in the ruai of the natives longhouse as a trophy.

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written by penangboi, January 05, 2009 17:21:17

The UMNO shithead's banning of the Bahasa Malaysia language for use in other religions other than Islam is totally illogical.

What has a language got to do with religion? Can you imagine any Western (reading Christian) society banning arabic because of the fear of converting Christians to Muslims? Such action only demonstrates Shithead's own inferior complex when it comes to his faith.

The way I read it is that this is another classic case of using religion to gain political mileage especially giving the false impression of the use of language undermining Islam in the eyes of the Malay populace.

But hey, Bahasa Malaysia is the national language, which means that the language belongs to ALL MALAYSIANS, regardless of race and religion. If Shithead is so protective of Bahasa Malaysia then why doesn't he ban its use by all non-Malays?!!!

I really do believe that of all the UMNO/BN idiots and imbeciles Shithead is right at the top of the heap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's a lawyer eh? Wonder where he bought his degree from.....

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written by *********, January 05, 2009 17:40:26

Syed Hamid Albar, the Evil BN/Umno regime, PEWARIS take note that your diabolical agenda of wiping away the Bahasa Malaysia section from The Herald shows clearly the Evil that resides and manifests within your tormented souls. What are you afraid of? Huh?! Are you afraid that the Ummah will murtad and convert to Christianity because of The Herald? Do you think the faith of pious Muslims are as fragile as yours? Huh?! Woe to you Syed Hamid Albar and the Evil BN/Umno regime for your hypocrisy! Your actions may just cause Muslims to leave Islam and embrace other religions or worse still become free thinkers or even worst, Satan Worshippers! Oh, The Scribe just remembered that by doing so they would have something in common with you goons from BN/Umno who have already sold your souls to the Devil.

I really don't understand how else to explain the rationale of banning the Bahasa Malaysia publication of The Herald when the Kesatuan Pekerja-pekerja DBP, Dewan Pemuda PAS, Persatuan Linguistik Malaysia, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) and Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Semalaysia (Gamis) are going to organize a BERSIH style mammoth 100,000 men rally to protest the use of English to teach Math and Science. These guys, if they are sincere should also demonstrate against the Evil BN/Umno regime for banning the Bahasa Malaysia section of The Herald. Infact, they should be proud of the Catholics for standing up for the National Language. Let's hope the organizers said to be headed by former DBP Director Dr. Hassan Ahmad includes The Herald issue in their Memorandum to the King...More http://*********.********.com/...html#links

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written by amoker, January 05, 2009 17:50:48

Shouting so loud about bumiputra rights yet the rights of the bumiputra and trampled. Yeah, 2nd class bumis but still bumis. The champion of rights just fight for the rights of Malay Muslims.

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written by chanatak, January 05, 2009 18:57:26

You want to know what kind of a government we will have if Najis takes over? Just watch if he tells off this foot-in-the-mouth home minister. More likely, Najis will be keeping quiet. and that reveals what kind of openness he will be practising.
UMNO can never change. A leopard cannot change its spot.

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written by ahmadneil, January 05, 2009 19:00:49

Playboy too ,wants to have a Bahasa Malaysia version.

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written by Dominic, January 05, 2009 19:06:34

In Malaysia,the boleh land,coming across statement after statement from those stupid idiot ministers are nothing but normal. Otherwise you surely belong to another part of the world !!! Thats the BN UMNO standard .

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written by Alice, January 05, 2009 20:37:11

Let us work hard to get rid of this SICK,RACIST GOVERNMENT!!! It has been too long that we are listening to crap like this.One man is trying to make lives of millions miserable. WE MUST GET RID OF THEM!!!

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written by sydput, January 05, 2009 20:38:08

a clear case of religious genocide.

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written by Tompios, January 05, 2009 21:02:55

Why? sebab pengetahun agama islam di kalangan pemimpin2 UMNO sangat cetek. Jadi, mereka takut kalau Bahasa Rasmi negara digunakan dalam Catholic Hearld.

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written by Pangkis Pangazou, January 05, 2009 21:19:02

Almost 1 million Catholics in East Malaysia. most of them converse in Malay. now, the ban of Church publication in Malay is most perplexing. This can only mean one thing. A mere publication/article can sway them away from their faith. Now, how fragile is one's faith? Another thing, one reader in another forum states that it's ok for publication in East Malaysia but not West Malaysia. Do we have two different set of rules for Malaysians? What about the thousands of East Malaysians working and studying in West Malaysia? What about the Orang Asli Christians? Don't they count too?

Takutkan bayang-bayang sendiri, orasng lain pula jadi mangsa. Sya rasa Gomen skarang nie. betul-betul bingung dan banganglah!

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written by Tompios, January 05, 2009 21:39:23

Keehoi!! Kano mamangkis!! Yes, the backboners of BN called UMNO are too afraid of Christianity. Sekecil apa iman orang Islam Malaysia, agaknya? This is too absurd!! PENGHINAAN bagi orang ISLAM terutama orang Mualaf di Sabah!

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written by mykantree, January 05, 2009 21:39:35

All right minded Malaysian, irespective of their faith, should oppose this ban.The government has gone too far in their suppression of the Christian faith. Today Christianity. Tommorrow? The bible may only be available in Latin, at the rate the government is suppressing the Christian faith.

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written by Nice n Simple, January 05, 2009 23:12:18

YA, AND BAN IKIM NEWS ON THE STAR BECOS ISLAM CANNOT USE ENGLISH IN MALAYSIA!!

Normally, people with big head got bigger brains. Baldy is the antithesis. Like this, may as well ban Islam from being taught in languages other Arabic. What kind of idiot did Malaysians elect?? So tired of his rubbish, I have only one thing to say:

HE'S JUST AN ABUNDANCE OF SHIT! PERIOD.

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written by Lyon, January 06, 2009 08:42:47

Its time our sisters and brothers in Sabah and Sarawak do something about it. If this matter is reated lightly, the consequences will be far greater - Sabahans and Sarawakians will be told not to use BM in churches, other Christian publications in BM may also eventually be disallowed, especially in these 2 states.

So friends, stand firm for your rights as enshrined in our constitution and pray that our Almighty may touch the hearts of the confused souls of our decision makers so that they may see the light and justice be served.

Cheers

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written by ultraman, January 06, 2009 19:39:16

It must be a joke! We cannot use our national language? Ha!Ha! On one hand the government want us to popularise BM and on the other we cannot use it! Gila ke?

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