By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Sept 2: PRS vice-president Datuk Liwan Lagang today lashed out at Pas lawmaker Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh for his offensive remarks about the Bible.
He said what Nik Muhammad Zawawi said about the Bible was simply not accurate as he did not possess the right knowledge to comment on other religions.
“He may think that he’s an expert in comparative studies. But if he is truly a scholar, he would not have made such careless and stupid remarks.
“We Christians know very well that the Bible that we use today has been used by all Christian denominations and its authenticity has been proven to be accurate based on the original texts. So, who is he telling us that our holy book is not authentic?” stated the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) leader today.
He was commenting on Nik Mohammad Zawawi , who is also the Pasir Pasir Puteh MP, who had remarked in Parliament recently that the Bible was distorted from its original text.
Following his comments, Christians and non-Christians alike have criticised the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia MP and sought his apology.
Liwan who is the Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Rural Electricity) asserted that running down other religions from one’s own was just not right in a multi-religious and multi-racial country like Malaysia.
“We are living in a (society of) diverse ethnic backgrounds. So it’s always wise not to touch on other religions as it can cause misunderstanding and anger.
“While we can forgive him for his mistake, he should at least apologise because he knows that what he said carried weight as he is an elected representative. If he’s just a man in the street, nobody bothers (about) what he said,” said Liwan.
The Belaga assemblyman, who is also a staunch Christian, asserted that should a non-Muslim have uttered a similar statement, it would have created a riot.
“So my advice to him is this. Stay put in what you believe in and please don’t impose your beliefs and ideas on others. After all religious freedom is guaranteed in our Federal Constitution,” stated Liwan. — DayakDaily
