KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Cassel Krishnan, the Melaka DAP Youth chief, lashed out at a religious group for offering “free Bible courses” in front of Surau Warisan in Bandar Hilir in the state, calling it “absolutely irresponsible”.
He noted the group was small, and asserted that they were not Melaka natives as they showed blatant disrespect that has always been the bedrock of the local community.
“From personal experience, I can attest that churches and Christian groups in Melaka have always conducted their public activities with wisdom and prudence, fostering cordial relationships with leaders of other faiths,” Cassel said in a statement.
“This disgraceful incident will undoubtedly be condemned by other Christian leaders as isolated and ill-advised. It has already been harshly denounced by the president of the MCCBCHST,” he added.
The MCCBCHST, short for the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, is the main interfaith group in the country.
Cassel also urged political parties to refrain from exploiting the situation for their own agendas, warning,
“We cannot afford further escalation of this issue. What we need now are cooler heads and a collective effort to uphold harmony,” he said.
Cassel called on all Malaysians to “pray for peace and work together towards building an inclusive society that honours and respects all its members.”
In a video clip about 16 seconds’ long, several people are seen setting up a standee with pamphlets seemingly promoting a “free bible course”.
However, the video was not defined enough to be able to discern if the pamphlets were of any specific Christian denomination.
Christianity is not monolithic and there exist both major denominations that are officially recognised, as well as various informal sects and offshoots.
