MIRI: Malaysia should draw a leaf from Sarawak when it comes to fully accommodating various beliefs professed by the people.
“In Sarawak, Christianity accounts for 50.1 per cent of the population, and all religious faiths are free to worship,” said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Publicity and Information Secretary Kelvin Hii.
“Temples, churches, and mosques can be found everywhere in Sarawak.”
To illustrate his point Hii said there is a church located next to a mosque in Miri.
“On Fridays, the church opens its parking spaces for the vehicles of Muslim worshippers, and on Sundays, the mosque reciprocates by opening its parking spaces for Christians,” he said.
This scene, he said, illustrates the mutual accommodation and acceptance between religions.
“Such scenes can only be seen in Sarawak. Under the leadership of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), the state government has maintained an open and respectful attitude towards religious freedom.
“This behaviour is an attitude the federal government should learn from,” he added.
Hii raised these points while commending the federal government’s decision to withdraw its appeal against an earlier court decision to allow usage of the word ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims in Sarawak.
“The federal government should learn from the Sarawak government, which has maintained an open attitude towards all races and religions for many years, promoting inclusivity and embracing the differences in each racial and religious group,” he said.
The withdrawal of the appeal by the Attorney General’s Chambers signifies a significant progress in the country’s religious freedom, he added.
