Feb 22, 2011 ... Below is a chronology of events of the 5000 copies of the Alkitab (in Bahasa
Malaysia) that has been held by the Ministry of Home Affairs since ...
CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA (PERSEKUTUAN KRISTIAN MALAYSIA) Address: 10, Jalan 11/9, Section 11, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Telephone: (03) 7957 1278, (03) 7957 1463, Fax: (03) 7957 1457 Email:
[email protected]
22 February 2011 Below is a chronology of events of the 5000 copies of the Alkitab (in Bahasa Malaysia) that has been held by the Ministry of Home Affairs since 23 March 2009.
BM ALKITAB - CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 23/03/2009
A letter from KDN Port Kelang to The Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) informing that 5100 copies of the BM Alkitab had been confiscated for investigation.
15/04/2009
An appeal letter from BSM was sent to KDN Putrajaya.
25/05/2009
KDN Putrajaya replied BSM’s appeal letter stating the Ministry has executed its duty to confiscate this publication because it has been found that the BM Alkitab is prohibited due to its use of the “ALLAH” word which has been prohibited in Christian publications. The decision on the use of the word “Allah” by Christian publications is not decided yet by the court. Thus, the use is prohibited until the decision of the court is obtained.
07/10/2009
A similar appeal letter was sent to KDN Putrajaya.
03/03/2010
A letter from Encik Suniranto of KDN Port Kelang to BSM with reference to his first letter dated 23/03/2009, is asking BSM to contact him within 30 days from the date of this letter. A call was made to Suniranto for an appointment but he told us not to see him as he has no power to make any decision. He has to get instructions from KDN Putrajaya.
16/03/2010
A similar appeal letter was sent to Encik Suniranto of KDN Port Kelang
05/04/2010
A similar appeal letter was sent to KDN Putrajaya.
06/04/2010
A reply from KDN Putrajaya stating that the matter has been forwarded to the Division Secretary, Publication and Al-Quran Texts Division, KDN for their attention and further action.
10/06/2010
A reply from Encik Suniranto to our appeal letter of 16/03/2010 informing that after due consideration given to our request, the KDN Putrajaya has made the decision to release the said publications. BSM was requested to contact KDN Port Kelang’s office to take the said Publications before 25th June 2010. All the confiscated publications will be stripped of their rights/ownership after 25 June 2010. If BSM failed to do so, our publications would be written off according to whatever ways 1
decided by the Ministry under the same Act. 17/06/2010
Upon receipt of the above letter on 17/6/2010, BSM staff contacted KDN Port Kelang that we would arrange our forwarding agent, Mercury Freight Logistics Sdn. Bhd. to collect the publications on 21st June 2010 on our behalf. One staff from KDN Port Kelang told Yus of Mercury Freight Logistics, that the letter was wrongly written. You can collect the goods but BSM has to send them back to the exporter.
24/06/2010
Representatives from the BSM, CFM and NECF went to meet Suniranto of KDN Port Kelang. He explained that the publications cannot be released as the KDN Putrajaya has verbally informed him that the decision is to “tolak pengimportan” on the publications. The representatives then requested a formal letter from Suniranto stating the reasons for not releasing the publications. The letter was given which states that the deadline for appealing was 30 June 2010 on the confiscated goods.
28/06/2010
The appeal letter from BSM was sent on 28/06/2010. Since then there has been no reply from KDN Putrajaya.
This chronology was prepared by The Bible Society of Malaysia – 22 February 2011.
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