Masing interferes in Selangor and snides PM's silence demanding sooner comment

Masing baffled why no action taken on Jais for illegal raid

Borneo Post January 6, 2014, Monday

Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing

KUCHING: A senior state minister has questioned why no action was taken against Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) officials if their raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and confiscation of Bibles last Thursday were both unconstitutional and illegal.

“If indeed Jais’ raid and confiscation of the Christian Bibles is unconstitutional since Jais has no authority over non-Muslim premises and illegal since they had no search warrant, why no action was taken against the officials who raided the place?

“But instead, the persons who had the right to defend their possession (the Bibles) were questioned by the police,” Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing said when contacted.

He was responding to a statement by Malaysian Bar Council that the raid on BSM and the seizure of Malay and Iban language Bibles by Jais and the arrest of BSM leaders were illegal and unconstitutional.

The Malaysian Bar Council added that Jais, an Islamic enforcement agency, had no jurisdiction and powers over other religions or persons professing other faiths.

“Certainly Malaysian laws are blind to colour, creed and race. I urge the authority to act legally without fear or favour. Yang salah kamu tangkap, yang betul jangan kacau lah! (You catch those in the wrong but don’t disturb those who are right),” Masing said.

He warned that if this state of affairs continued, Malaysia would have a long way to go in becoming a fair and just society.

Meanwhile, Masing, who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, called on Malaysians to give Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak time and space to make his move over the issue.

Although not knowing the reason behind Najib’s silence over the week, he believed that the prime minister was silent “maybe for a reason”.

“PM (Prime Minister) is silent maybe for a reason. I don’t know why he maintains his silence at the moment. Let’s give him time and space to make his stand on the issue. Hopefully, it will be sooner than later,” he said.