Published: Thursday March 4, 2010 MYT 4:28:00 PM
Updated: Thursday March 4, 2010 MYT 4:31:45 PM
Archbishop wants apology over desecration
KUALA LUMPUR: The Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam has expressed his sadness over the Attorney-General’s failure to act against two magazine journalists who had allegedly desecrated a holy Catholic ritual last year and the fact that the journalists have yet to apologised.
He said the Catholic Church would not pursue legal action against the Al-Islam magazine and its reporters if it was offered a public apology.
The two journalists had posed as Christians and took part in a Catholic Mass to probe allegations that Muslims were being converted. They admitted to receiving Holy Communion and actually spitting the wafer out, an act Catholics consider desecration.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia executive committee chairman Rev Ng Moon Hing said it was unacceptable to “spy” on worshippers of another religion and that the sacrilegious behaviour had breached standards of common decency.
The MCA said the action of the two Al-Islam journalists were offensive and contrary to the Malaysian culture of peace, harmony and tolerance.
Its MCA NGO Liaison Bureau chairman Datuk Ti Lian Ker called on the Home Minister to act against individuals, institutions or publications that acted in a manner deemed “provocative or sensitive to another religion.”
After police reports were lodged against the journalists and the magazine, they were investigated under Section 298A (1) of the Penal Code for causing disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will, or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion.
However earlier this week, it was announced that the Attorney-General had decided not to pursue the case because of “public pressure.”
More to come
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