RoH Malaysia

RoH Malaysia http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/ en Copyright 2008 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:55:09 +0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Merdeka 2008: A Restoration of Hope

]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/09/merdeka_2008_a_restoration_of.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/09/merdeka_2008_a_restoration_of.php Events Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:55:09 +0800 Inter-Religious Roundtable Dialogue Note: Taken from the CPPS Website]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/07/interreligious_roundtable_dial.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/07/interreligious_roundtable_dial.php Events Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:50:53 +0800 Anwar - Political Messiah? by Helen Ting [ Published in Eureka Street, 15 April 2008 ]

With the expiry of a five-year ban, former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today regains his freedom to contest a Malaysian general election and internal party election. Anwar's political comeback is as stunning as his spectacular fall from power following his 1998 fallout with then boss, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir. The general elections, in which the ruling National Front lost its two-thirds majority in federal parliament and in which the Opposition won control of five state assemblies, have been described as a 'political tsunami'. For the first time ever, Anwar's multiracial party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR, or the People's Justice Party) won more parliamentary seats than any other opposition party. As a result, Dr Wan Azizah, Anwar's wife, who was also re-elected, has become the Opposition leader. Commentators have interpreted the results as an endorsement of PKR's electoral pledge to replace decades-old race-based affirmative action with needs-based assistance programs. They argue that racial politics and the battle cry of Malay hegemony have finally been superseded. 'The people have voted decisively for a new era where the government must be truly inclusive and recognise that all Malaysians, regardless of race, culture or religion are a nation of one,' an elated Anwar declared the night the electoral results were known. The darling of the foreign press, the charismatic and capable Anwar generally receives positive and enthusiastic coverage. Widely seen as the uncontested Prime-Minister-to-be should the opposition gain control of the Parliament, many Malaysians are ready to give Anwar another chance. But many others harbour lingering doubts. One key concern arises from uncertainty over the extent of Anwar's commitment to multiculturalism. Until the late 1980s, the conversion of a Muslim to another religion could be validated by making a statutory declaration to that effect. More recently, state registrars have refused to recognise such conversions unless validated by the Syariah courts. Recent cases have shown the Syariah Courts are reluctant or refuse to do their job. A Malay convert to Catholicism, Lina Joy, contested this requirement in the civil courts in order to have the religious status recorded on her identity card rectified without going through the Syariah courts. Lina lost her case and, while this came as a disappointment to those who are already alarmed by the continuing erosion of the role of the civil courts as the guarantor of constitutional rights including religious freedom, Anwar declared his agreement with the verdict. Secondly, even though several PKR campaign pamphlets attacked the government's marginalisation of Mandarin and Tamil-medium primary education, the PKR election manifesto contained no measure to rectify the situation. This silence raises doubts as to whether PKR will change the status quo should it win government. Then there was the question of who would become Chief Minister in Perak after the opposition won that state. The Perak constitution stipulates that the state government should be headed by a Malay although this requirement can be waived by the Sultan. In this instance, none of the newly elected state assemblymen of the Democratic Action Party, the Chinese-based opposition party which gained the most seats, were Malay. Yet, rather than considering the merits of the candidates, Anwar simply objected to having a non-Malay as the Chief Minister, citing the need to protect the Malay position politically and economically. During the election campaign, he also attacked the previous government for raising petrol prices, and declared that he would lower them, once in power. Such a measure would be immensely popular, but to implement it would cost billions of ringgit in petrol subsidies. Is this the policy of a 'far-sighted' leader when this money could be used to finance a long term solution to the prevailing over-dependence on private cars? Anwar, who plans to return to the parliament in a by-election, has already announced that he is moving towards forming a new federal government with the help of defectors from the ruling coalition. A question arises as to whether such a 'back door' approach to gaining power is fair to voters, who tend to vote for a party rather than individual candidates. Besides, the opposition parties have previously backed an 'anti-hopping law', which would require elected representatives to resign and stand for by-election should they switch political allegiance. It remains to be seen whether they will apply the same standard to themselves if and when they come to power.]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/06/anwar_political_messiah.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/06/anwar_political_messiah.php Issues Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:37:16 +0800 Welcome to Sakthiville! another new member on our RoH Malaysia team! Well, we did say we were on a project for team expansion, didn't we? We'd like to introduce you to the newest member on our RoH Malaysia team, Mr P. Sakthivel.

P. Sakthivel Resource Associate

Sakthi comes with a wealth of experience behind him and has been a great help to researchers, writers, and theological students. He worked in the University of Malaya library for eight years before commencing his work with a local theological library over ten years ago. Over the years, he has acquired formidable skills in obtaining research materials to assist researchers in their research and writing. He serves with RoH Malaysia as a Resource Associate. Sakthi blogs on www.sakthihisthoughts.blogspot.com. Our next gathering for the RoH Team will be on 8 August 2008. It's guaranteed to be a blast of a gathering for us all, together with the recent additions onto our synergistic team. To a better Malaysia...]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/06/welcome_to_sakthiville.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/06/welcome_to_sakthiville.php Updates Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:40:56 +0800 The Modernity of the Islamic State Discourse by Helen Ting [ Published in Malaysiakini, 27 August 2007 ] Recently, the Islamic credentials of our deputy prime minister have been bolstered by his declaration that Malaysia has always been an Islamic state, "with its own interpretation". Najib Abdul Razak reportedly gave two arguments to substantiate his position. He stated that Malaysia has always been "driven by our adherence to the fundamentals of Islam" and that Islam is the official religion. He found an unexpected ally on his position. Raja Petra Kamarudin, an influential blogger well known for his "anti-establishment" views, agrees with Najib. Raja Petra affirms that "the Constitution clearly expressed the more elevated position of Islam over the other religions". This, for him, proves that Malaysia is not a secular state, but a Negara Islam. Raja Petra takes issue with MCA's claim that "Malaysia is historically a secular state". He asks how far back historically they want to take the statement. It is clearly possible to take contrary positions on whether Malaysia is a "secular" or "Islamic" state, depending on the definition we apply to either word. It is just like arguing whether a half-filled glass of water is half-empty or half-full. Nevertheless, I disagree with Raja Petra that "all these noises are much ado over nothing." At the beginning of the 1990s, Hussin Mutalib, an academician who made a study on this issue, concluded that it was unlikely that Malaysia became an Islamic state. It is remarkable that within less than two decades, the gravity of the debate seems to have shifted towards what type of Negara Islam or even Islamic state Malaysia is. The ultimate question boils down to the practical implications of the constitutional status of Islam as the "religion of the federation" which undoubtedly have been expanding progressively. This trend lends its political legitimacy to the discourse that Malaysia is a Negara Islam. Some even go as far as claiming that Malaysia has, historically, always been a Negara Islam. Half Truth Those who argue in favour of Malaysia to be an Islamic state like to say as a matter of fact that after all, Islamic law was the law of the land before the coming of the British. This statement is at best a half-truth. The late law professor Ahmad Ibrahim, the foremost Malaysian authority of Syariah reforms, stated that in early Malay states, neither the ruler nor any governmental organ could legislate on Syariah Law. When a new situation arose, the prerogative to re-interpret it rested on the learned fuqaha (jurists). In the Constitution of Terengganu promulgated in 1911, Ahmad Ibrahim noted that Islamic laws and religious matters were considered a separate realm from the civil sphere of law making which concerned "matters for the advancement of the country and its welfare." In addition, religion and Muslim laws were explicitly excluded from legislative activities, be it "making", "adjusting" or "adding to the laws and regulations." On the other hand, Ahmad Ibrahim noted that the early Malay state constitutions "show traces of the traditional Islamic polity" and stipulated Islam clearly as the "religion of the state." The paradoxical fact is that the British administrators could actually claim credit for having contributed to the establishment of a modern Islamic bureaucracy. The establishment of modern state bureaucracy, infrastructure and resources for greater legal enforcement by the British laid the foundation for the establishment of more formal system of Islamic jurisdiction than hitherto existed in pre-colonial Malaya. In effect, the British legislative system of statutory enactment of law becomes the modern vehicle of further Islamisation under the premiership of Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Legal Bureaucracy Between 1880 and 1920, Islamic legislation regulating different facets of family lives of the Muslim community was enacted in different states. A legal bureaucracy was created to enforce Islamic legislation enacted in state councils and ensure the functioning of court regulation and the establishment of legal procedures. The first state kathi was appointed in Perak and Selangor in 1880 and 1884 respectively. Though many of the measures had existed haphazardly in the past, the unprecedented feature was their systematic application and the organisation behind it. In fact, the conception and establishment of a centralised, state-level religious council (Majlis Agama) as an institution for the governance of Islam was first proposed in Kelantan as late as in December, 1915. It later became the model emulated by the other Malay states of the peninsula. The state councils which enacted this Islamic legislation were presided over by their respective British adviser, though the consent of the Malay Ruler was nominally required for the validity of the laws. The organisation and supervision of the Kathis in matters such as their appointments, salaries, suspensions and dismissals were decided by the respective state council and required the final approval of the governor. By the second decade of the 20th century, extensive machinery for governing Islam was put in place with some sort of state level central organisation to oversee or deliberate on religious matters. From the point of view of the British administration, statutory enactment of positive laws was meant to provide "Muhammadan law" a form which conformed to British judicial practice while circumscribing it to domains deem acceptable to them. On the part of the Malay ruling class, it was seen as a way for them to extend their influence on Islamic matters. During the first half of 20th century, the British similarly formalised the application of "Buddhist law" in Burma according to Western legal system, without regards to underlying unwritten custom. A contemporary observer, JS Furnivall, described the situation as akin to a Western doctor looking on native medicine. He commented that, "Indigenous law or custom administered in a foreign court is no less foreign than law proceeding directly from a foreign ruler." Similar dynamic is perhaps at work regarding the current application of Islamic law in Malaysia. This may explain the current problem of the subordination of Quranic values and principles to fiqh or Islamic jurisprudential tradition as mentioned by Chandra Muzaffar in his recent article on apostasy.]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/06/the_modernity_of_the_islamic_s.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/06/the_modernity_of_the_islamic_s.php Issues Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:26:28 +0800 More Team Expansion!

Dr Helen Ting BSc with Education (University of Malaya, Malaysia); DES Development (UCL, Belgium); DEA Development (UCL, Belgium); PhD Political Science (Sciences Po, France).

Helen is currently working as a research fellow at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Her research interests include issues in the fields of national identity, national integration, inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations, gender relations and social history. Previously, she worked as part of the Asian and then International Teams of the International Movement of Catholic Students for six years. She sees RoH Malaysia as a space for creative synergy between the faith and social analytical dimensions. In days and weeks to come, we will be posting up articles that Helen has written for various publication purposes. We hope you will benefit from her perceptive analyses of our nation's political landscape, and grasp a better understanding of what it means to be Malaysian and to be Christian. Welcome, Helen.]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/05/more_team_expansion.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/05/more_team_expansion.php Updates Wed, 28 May 2008 22:37:30 +0800 Watch Out! ]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/05/watch_out.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/05/watch_out.php Events Tue, 13 May 2008 01:46:00 +0800 Landmark Verdict Read more ]
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians of all races and religions should accept the Penang Syariah High Court's decision to allow Muslim convert Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah to renounce Islam and officially revert to her original faith. [ Read more ]]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/05/landmark_verdict.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/05/landmark_verdict.php Issues Fri, 09 May 2008 07:49:19 +0800 RoH Statement on Non-Partisanship RoH Malaysia is committed to a non-partisan position in our political stance. As a team, we neither stand in support of nor against any political party in Malaysia. Our utmost concern reflects the concern of the Body of Christ: justice and peace. As we seek to uphold the dignity of the marginalised in society, we are committed to articulating our concerns regarding relevant issues in accordance with the theological and ethical standards of the Church. That these articulations pertaining to any socio-political reality implicates upon particular political positions and parties does not at all or at any time reflect a spirit of political partisanship on our part.]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/05/roh_statement_on_nonpartisansh.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/05/roh_statement_on_nonpartisansh.php Updates Tue, 06 May 2008 23:11:18 +0800 The Word "Allah" A letter from the Christian Federation of Malaysia: Dear friends, This is to inform you of the following: The Minister for Internal Security issued a Publication Permit dated 12th February 2008 for the period 1st January 2008 until 31st December 2008 to the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, the Publisher of the HERALD - The Catholic Weekly stating that the Publication Permit is subject to a Garis Panduan Penerbitan which prohibits the Publisher from using the word ALLAH in the HERALD - The Catholic Weekly. The decision of the Minister for Internal Security was unacceptable and on 19th March 2008, an Application for Judicial Review was filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court to challenge the decision of the Minister. The first state of the Application for Judicial Review i.e. to seek leave or permission to proceed is fixed for hearing at 9.00am on 25th April 2008. Archbishop Murphy Pakiam will be in the High Court for the hearing. Kindly make this known to your parishioners and pray for the intention of the Archbishop and other Bishops on this matter. Sample Prayer: We pray that the High Court in honouring the rights of all citizens of Malaysia will uphold the Constitutional Rights of Christians to use the word ALLAH in all Christian Publications like the Malay Bible or Al-Kitab, the Malay Prayer books, our Catechism books for children, our Malay Mass books and even in our weekly publication HERALD. We pray to the Lord.]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/04/a_letter_from_the_christian.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/04/a_letter_from_the_christian.php Issues Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:07:52 +0800 Church and Politics Church and Politics Sherman YL Kuek April 2008 Sherman is a theological researcher, writer and conversationist who dialogues with people of various backgrounds and traditions on issues pertaining to theology, spirituality, and culture. He is the Convenor of Revolution of Hope (RoH Malaysia). At the parish level, he serves as a Lay Ecclesial Minister (Pastoral Assistant). Sherman is completing a doctorate degree in Systematic and Contextual Theology with Trinity Theological College (Singapore). He blogs on www.shermankuek.net.

Many Christians seem almost entirely unsure about the role of the Church in the political arena. Some Christians, on the one hand, seem to relegate the role of political partisanship to the Church, as if it was the responsibility of the Church to sway people either towards or away from particular political inclinations and parties. Some other Christians, on the other hand, seem to think there is no role at all for the Church in politics and that she should maintain a posture of absolute silence on anything within the domain of the secular state. One must remember, the ultimate concerns of the Church of Jesus Christ are not of this world although they find their temporal embodiment in the present circumstances of this world. The Church, beyond elections, democracy and government (all of which are legitimate mechanisms for the regulation of the temporal world), finds her prophetic calling in the upholding of peace and justice in the world, for these deal with the higher and eternal values of the Christ who established His Church in the world. Elections, democracy and government are therefore – in the eyes of the Church – nothing more (and nothing less) than instruments for the promotion of peace and justice. She of herself is to be a non-partisan, non-political entity. The Church’s task as the visible Kingdom of God in the world is to articulate and proclaim its concern for justice and peace, and to strive towards upholding it. This task at times involves the expression of support for specific causes that coincidentally favour particular political positions and organisations; but these are merely coincidental, for the Church’s other articulations of peace and justice may very well coincidentally condemn the causes of those very same political positions and organisations her previous articulations seemed to endorse. It is therefore not the particularities of any one political entity’s positions the Church seeks to endorse or illegitimise, but rather, the causes and values for which these particularities stand. Christians should therefore make no mistake about it. If the Church’s expression of support seems to endorse the cause of any political entity, it is entirely coincidental. Likewise, if her expression of condemnation impinges upon the cause of any political entity, it is also not the political entity itself, but rather, the cause she seeks to condemn. Therefore, the position of the Church is neither one of utter indifference nor political partisanship. Her position is one of justice and peace, this being a position that coincidentally presents profound implications for the express stances of political entities. Having understood that, the individual Christian is then called to vote for the cause of justice and peace, and not in accordance with the law of partisanship. The Church together with her leadership are also to refrain from telling people, “Vote for…” or “Do not vote for…”; this is not her calling. Her calling is to execute and sustain the consciousness of people in matters of justice and peace, to be the righteous voice of Christ in a partisan political world. Of Himself, Christ is neither government nor opposition, Labour nor Conservative, Democratic nor Republican. Christ is Christ.]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/04/church_and_politics.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/04/church_and_politics.php Reflections Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:51:49 +0800 Political Tsunami: the Aftermath So the general election of Malaysia is over, and the Cabinet has been appointed. There you have it, the people you have chosen now sit in the offices to which they have been appointed. After this political tsunami, what's next? Tricia Yeoh, Director for Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS), expresses her hopeful observation that

...Malaysians are now pointed in the direction of democratisation, an equitable society, social justice, principled governance (over and above race-based politics), public accountability, and freedom of expression.

How may Christian individuals in Malaysia participate in this struggle? What might be some appropriate theological responses to these issues confronting Malaysia? What sort of spirituality can Malaysian Christians embrace in the light of these realitise? Topic: Blessings Amidst Blunders... A Contextual Liberation Theology for Malaysia Resident Instructor: Revd Dr Jojo Fung, SJ Invited Speaker: Sherman Kuek Venue: Sacred Heart Cathedral, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru, Malaysia Date/Time: 22 April (Tuesday) @ 8 pm]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/04/political_tsunami_the_aftermat.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/04/political_tsunami_the_aftermat.php Events Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:58:24 +0800 Commentary on 12 General Elections Commentary on Malaysia’s 12th General Elections 2008 For Revolution of Hope (RoH Malaysia) by Tricia Yeoh April 2008 Tricia is currently the Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, at which she engages in national socio-economic issues through research, analysis and fostering policy dialogue. This covers a wide range of issues, dealing for example, with inter-faith dialogue and economic policies. Her work involves interacting closely with the country's socio-political environment. She hopes to work constructively toward a matured and united Malaysia, and envisions faith and vocation as one, as we seek common goals and platforms in the long-term nation-building process. She blogs on www.egalitaria.wordpress.com. For those who have toiled many years fighting injustice in Malaysia, the results of the 12th General Election was considered vindication. Growing frustration with the administration led to what has been called a “political tsunami”, leading to the stronghold Barisan Nasional coalition losing its two-thirds majority at Parliament level. More shocking was its loss of four states, leaving the loose Opposition coalition to lead five State Governments in total, also unprecedented since Malaysia’s independence in 1957. There were certainly a host of factors leading to this watershed event. Touted very much as an elections in which people exercised punishment votes, the percentage of popular vote for the coalition Government fell from 63% in 2004 to 51.2% in 2008, showing only slightly more than half of Malaysia’s voting population showing support for the present administration. These “push” variables have been charted out in analytic terms, listed in simple order as state corruption, inflation, displeasure with the New Economic Policy and its accompanying preferential policies for the Bumiputera community (made up of Malays and natives of the land) resulting in gross intra-ethnic socio economic disparity, issues of religious freedom, the economy, and the general perception of institutional and structural failures (the judiciary and police are two in particular). One of the more significant “pull” factors was Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s ex-Deputy Prime Minister, who, after his recent release from seven-year imprisonment, went on massive rounds all across the country to rally for candidates in his party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat, originally formed on the premise of highlighting political injustice that was served him in 1998). Anwar’s ambition is to shoot for power, namely as head honcho of the state, and observers see these results as steadily laying the bricks in that very direction. The fact that the nation’s ex-Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed (arch enemy of Anwar), launched a series of strong criticism against the present Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi added fuel to the fire. In a complexity of sorts, Malaysians had a plethora of issues and platforms to choose from, in voting against Barisan Nasional. All seemed to work in favour of the opposition, even if this was not considered a viable alternative. If one were not necessarily an Anwar supporter, one would weigh carefully the once-considered-wisdom of Dr Mahathir. If one were not necessarily an advocate for human rights and social justice, one would cite the dwindling economy as a reason to awaken the seemingly slackening Government. In either corner one turned, one was hit smack in the face with endless issues 360 degrees all around. The degrees and complexities to which each issue lent itself to the fabric of dissatisfaction remains to be explored. Some, for example, have argued that the Government’s last-minute decision to withdraw the use of indelible ink (earlier promised tooth and nail to enhance transparent election processes) was the straw that broke the camel’s back, proving the insincerity and potential fraudulence of the system. As results streamed in steadily on a late Saturday night, into an early Sunday on March the 9th, Malaysians awoke to a new dawn. This new Malaysia was one characterised by an empowerment that although ironically belonged to the people, was also unrecognisable. For so long had frustrations simmered silently, until no longer could a storm in a teacup remain still. Despite initial hiccups, political instability within the opposition groups (PKR, DAP, PAS) and Government (UMNO, MCA, MIC, and others), this momentous event marks a positive step for Malaysia’s democratisation process as a whole. People now acknowledge their role as participatory citizens in the future of the nation, the very element necessary in any democracy. Perseverance and longsuffering take on a new meaning in light of this new Malaysia. Many strived towards achieving a goal, although this goal was nowhere near in sight. Underlying this was a belief, real or imagined, that someday their work would reap good fruit. Now, whether or not these results would have been harvested in one’s lifetime is irrelevant, since dedication to a cause (for social, economic and political justice) should not be influenced by one’s belief in its ease of attainment. No, many should (and would) have continued working anyway, in creating a better society, whether or not the Elections resulted in opposition obtaining zero or 82 Parliamentary seats. The point is, sweet victory was tasted and it is a welcome reminder that little “kingdoms on earth” can be exemplified right here, right now. Why the results of the Elections are considered a victory is not because Barisan Nasional lost numerous seats, nor was it because the Opposition control five out of 13 state Governments, a fivefold achievement. It is because Malaysians are now pointed in the direction of democratisation, an equitable society, social justice, principled governance (over and above race-based politics), public accountability, and freedom of expression. For all political parties to recognise this is a giant step for the country. Now begins the actual work in putting rhetoric into practice. Malaysians are holding their breath, but they acknowledge this. That this outcome has been a blessing of the most extraordinary kind.]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/04/commentary_on_12_general_elect.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/04/commentary_on_12_general_elect.php Issues Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:05:56 +0800 Catholic-Protestant Relations In mid 2007, the Vatican released a document called Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church. The document described Christian Orthodox churches as true churches, but suffering from a “wound” since they do not recognise the primacy of the Pope. The text also refered to “ecclesial communities originating from the Reformation”, a term used to refer to Protestants and Anglicans, stating that in these denominations the wound is even "more profound”. It states:

Despite the fact that this teaching has created no little distress ... it is nevertheless difficult to see how the title of "Church" could possibly be attributed to them.

Is the Vatican therefore now withdrawing from its endeavours to seek unity with the rest of the Christian world? How should this document and the statements contained therein be construed by those who seek fellowship with the Catholic Church? Topic: Blessings Amidst Blunders... Catholic-Protestant Relations Resident Instructor: Revd Dr Jojo Fung Invited Speaker: Sherman Kuek Venue: Sacred Heart Cathedral, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru, Malaysia Date/Time: 01 April (Tuesday) @ 8 pm]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/03/catholicprotestant_relations.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/03/catholicprotestant_relations.php Events Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:11:32 +0800 The Day After: Stunning Performance The following is a brief analysis from Fr Jojo M. Fung, SJ: The political tsunami has hit and hit hard, with Kedah, Kelantan, Perak, Selangor and Penang delivered to the oppositions by Malaysians who believe in a multiparty democracy where there is check and balance, leaving the incumbents defeated and dazed. All deserved what they sowed or not sowed. Malaysians have come of age in being more political astute and critical. The struggle for a pro-people democracy is worth it, and the struggle for greater democratic space and a violent-free society for ALL who live in Malaysia, migrants, refugees and citizens must continue in the next four years. May all who love this nation be inspired by the words of the Asian Bishops: Instrumentum Laboris, no. 51 (Working Document before the 1999 Special Synod of Asia Bishops in Rome). The Asian bishops exhort:

The Church’s contribution to human promotion includes vocally denouncing injustices, supporting victims in their just causes, caring for the marginalized and suffering, joining together with all persons of good will who seek to build a more just and humane society, engaging in the analysis of the given situation in order to arrive at the root causes of poverty and injustice, and faith reflection on pastoral action...

In Asian countries, the Church has been active in pro-democracy movements aimed at establishing participatory democracies and humane government, in monitoring elections, in working for legislation against graft and corruption, in efforts at reconciliation after communal clashes, and in establishing peace in regions torn by civil war.

While the Church in Asia strives to oppose forces which threaten the unity and well-being of the individual, she also works to encourage people to form a better society.

]]> http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/03/the_day_after_stunning_perform.php http://www.shermankuek.net/RoHMalaysia/2008/03/the_day_after_stunning_perform.php Issues Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:32:37 +0800