Warning and possible suspension to Catholic newsletter...

The Star newspaper on the 13th of August 2008 publish an article - Catholic newsletter warned to stay of politics. Think the editor should have just omitted the word 'newsletter'...

I'm not a Catholic myself nor a Muslim so I am writting this free of any bias-ness or prejudices.

I just can't figure out how come every time any other religion touches on any current issues it is deemed to be politically motivated and a threat to the harmony of the nation. Disregard the warning and ISA will be knocking down your front door.

An official from the Home Ministry said in the newspaper report that Herald, a catholic newsletter, wanted to publish a topic on the coming Permatang Pauh by-election. It is made to understand that any editorial on the current affairs and politics made by any religious newsletter will lead to a formal warning or a suspension for breach of the conditions of the permit. Funny thing but aren't current issues and affairs may it be public or government ARE called news!!! Why don't the ministry change the word 'newsletter' to 'history letter' or is it a fact that after
other race and religion based buletin are somply not allowed to publish anything current or political?!!!

From my understanding, the said paper to be publish article content is the Catholic's call to pray for a fair and transparent by-election. What does this imply now, the Christians are not allowed to ask fellow Christians to pray as rightfully commented by Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew or is it the fact that the coming Permatang Pauh by-election ain't gonna be fair???

But I do agree with the government's call to stop toying with race and religion issues. This country has prospered today because of the effort by all the Malaysian society and not because of any 1 race or religion in particular. Having said that, then what about PAS? Their party manifesto has always been their hudud and syariah law implementation in Malaysia. Isn't that now bringing a lot of Islam into politics?!! Why till now they aren't suspended?? Is it cause they are a political party so they are allowed to or cause they are an Islam based party???

Where has all the common sense and fairness gone in the government of Malaysia or is it to lead and rule this country all the qualities you need is greed and stupidity!!!!!

The government keeps on bitching about keeping race and religion out of politics but they in turn should keep politics out race and religion too!!!

UMNO-PAS talks - Repudiation of transformational message of March 8 "Political Tsunami"

In the United States, Senator Barack Obama’s nomination as the Democratic Presidential nominees heralds a new milestone in American nation-building and race relations but in Malaysia, the UMNO proposal for Umno-PAS talks marks a regression in Malaysian nation-building and the Vision 2020 objective of a Bangsa Malaysia.

The latter repudiates March 8 “political tsunami” where for the first time in half-a-century of nationhood, Malaysians transcended race, religion and political affiliation to vote for change to give primacy and priority to justice, freedom, solidarity, integrity and progress.
The March 8 “political tsunami” marks a bold and visionary stride forward by Malaysians to rise above their communal selves to reach out to a common national identity.

It is a great tragedy if the transformational message of March 8 to stride forward to a new politics of justice, freedom, solidarity, integrity and progress is nullified by a throwback to the old, narrow and divisive politics of race, religion and class. - Lim Kit Siang


I’m all for the Bangsa Malaysia objective. We are a unique country of many race and religion but aren’t we are all Malaysians may we be Chinese, Indians, Bumiputeras, Muslim or Malay if they like. We, the Rakyat is who that makes Malaysia, Malaysia and I sure hope that those extremist politicians will not forget that. We are the ones that voted them there (albeit with regret now) and are paying for their obscenely high salary thru our taxes so we are also the ones that can still take it away from them.

As the issue of race and religion is very sensitive, I do hope that the ministers and politicians will be more careful in their dealings. We do not want any discrimination issue to arise as that will have very serious repercussions. To the 2 parties involved, please be a little smarter. Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse for being stupid.

Remember this equation :-
Chinese + Muslims + Indians + Bumiputeras = Rakyat = MALAYSIA