Phoong Jin Zhe
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s tradition of religious freedom, tolerance and mutual respect must remain the guiding principle in dealing with religious activities, said DAP Sabah Chairman and Senator Phoong Jin Zhe.
Commenting on the controversy surrounding American gospel singer Israel Houghton’s scheduled performance in Kota Kinabalu later this month, Phoong said Sabah has always been defined by its diversity and harmonious coexistence among people of different faiths, races and cultures.
He said these values were among Sabah’s greatest social strengths and must be protected.
Phoong said the authorities must also uphold the historical commitment to religious freedom made to the people of Sabah, as embodied in the Keningau Oath Stone.
He said isolated objections to an event should not be allowed to undermine the religious freedom Sabahans were entitled to enjoy.
“Even where there are objections, the professional responsibility of the police is to maintain public order and ensure the safety of the people.
“Any genuine and specific security threat must, of course, be taken seriously. But security concerns should be addressed through professional risk assessments, law enforcement and appropriate security measures.
“They should not lightly be used as grounds to prevent a lawful religious event from taking place,” he said in a statement today.
Phoong said if individuals threatened to disrupt an event, enforcement action should be directed at those intending to cause trouble or break the law, while appropriate security measures should be put in place to protect the event and its participants.
“The answer cannot be to restrict the religious freedom of law-abiding citizens simply because others threaten to create trouble.
“Otherwise, we must ask ourselves a fundamental question: does the law protect the freedoms of the people, or can anyone who generates enough opposition decide what others may or may not do?”
He said Sabah had never been a society defined by a single religion, race or culture.
“Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and followers of other faiths have lived alongside one another for generations, with many Sabahan families themselves comprising members of different religious backgrounds,” he said.
Phoong said Sabahans might profess different faiths but continued to celebrate one another’s religious and cultural festivals, attend each other’s weddings and family gatherings, and sit together at the same table despite their differences.
“This is part of what makes Sabah unique, and it is why generations of Sabahans have taken pride in the harmony and diversity of our society,” he said.
Phoong also highlighted the historical significance of the Keningau Oath Stone, which symbolises commitments made when Sabah joined in the formation of Malaysia, including the protection of religious freedom, land rights and native customs.
“The Keningau Oath Stone represents an important historical promise made to the people of Sabah. Religious freedom was, and remains, one of the principles Sabahans have consistently valued and defended throughout our history within Malaysia,” he said.
Phoong stressed that defending the right of Christians in Sabah to lawfully organise and attend a gospel music event did not mean endorsing every personal statement previously made by Houghton or supporting the policies of the Israeli Government in relation to Palestine.
He said Malaysia had a clear position on the rights of the Palestinian people, while everyone was entitled to criticise or disagree with the political views of an artist.
However, political disagreement must be distinguished from religious freedom, he said.
“Disagreeing with a singer’s personal political views cannot, by itself, become a reason to restrict the right of Christians in Sabah to participate in an otherwise lawful religious event.”
Phoong noted that according to an earlier public statement by the police, the organisers had yet to formally submit an application to the Sabah Government as of Sept 28.
He said whether the event should proceed should therefore be determined through the proper and fair administrative process once a formal application was submitted, taking into account the law, applicable regulations, nature of the event and any genuine security risks.
“The outcome should not be predetermined before the full application has even gone through the relevant approval process,” he said.
“If the organisers fail to comply with the law or the conditions imposed on the event, the authorities are of course entitled to reject the application.
“Likewise, if the police possess specific and credible security intelligence, appropriate measures should be taken.
“But where the risks can reasonably be managed through additional police presence, enhanced security, crowd management, restrictions on specific conduct or other proportionate measures, the Government should first consider how the event can be held safely rather than moving towards cancellation without sufficient grounds.”
Phoong said he had full confidence in the ability and professionalism of the Sabah police to safeguard public security.
He said the police had extensive experience managing major celebrations, religious gatherings, international events and public assemblies, and were capable of developing an appropriate security plan based on the actual level of risk.
“A mature and diverse society is not one in which everyone must share the same religion, beliefs or political views.
“It is one where, even when we differ or disagree, we continue to respect each other’s lawful space and freedoms,” he said.
Phoong said those opposing the event had every right to express their views peacefully, while Sabah Christians who wished to attend a gospel music event should also be treated fairly and reasonably.
“The two do not have to be mutually exclusive,” he said.
He said Sabah had long been regarded as an example of religious harmony and multicultural coexistence because Sabahans had learned to live with differences rather than turning religion and race into instruments of division.
Phoong therefore called on the Sabah Government, once a formal application was received, to assess it fairly, transparently and objectively based on the law and facts, while taking into account Sabah’s unique social fabric and longstanding tradition of religious tolerance.
He said the decision should not be dictated by political pressure from any side.
“We must not allow fear of controversy to gradually shrink the space for tolerance that Sabah has built over generations.
“Today, the issue may concern a Christian music event. Tomorrow, the same precedent could affect another religious or cultural activity.
“Once we accept the principle that an event should be stopped simply because there are voices opposing it, what we risk losing is not merely one event, but the very tradition of diversity, tolerance and mutual respect that Sabahans have spent decades building and protecting.”
