CFM - New Year Message

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: cfmsia@yahoo.co.uk

4th January 2012  

(This is the New Year message which was to be delivered by Bishop Datuk Ng 
Moon Hing, chairman of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, as an expression 
of CFM’s concerns to the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia at a lunch 
hosted by the Prime Minister on 4 January 2012. However, Bishop Datuk Ng 
was not given the opportunity to present this formally at the lunch.)    

YAB Perdana Menteri Dato’ Sri Hj. Mohd. Najib bin Tun Razak,  Tan Sri-Tan Sri,
Datuk-Datuk and distinguished guests.
Happy New Year! Greetings and Best Wishes to all who are present. We thank
you for extending your kind hospitality to us in organising this lunch.
Christians have been experiencing a roller coaster year since 2010 that has
been fraught with both blessings and painful encounters. This meeting at your
invitation has given us an opportunity to reflect over the past events and
especially the Christmas Hi-Tea of 2010 where you graced our function with
your presence and the luncheon in May of last year where you played gracious
host to us.

We thank you for always encouraging us to be frank with you. We welcome
more opportunities for constructive and open dialogue on a regular basis and
not just in times of crisis only. Our counterparts from Sabah and Sarawak have
also reminded us of the meaningful meetings that they had with you.
There has been a passage of time since our last meeting.  I would like to take
this opportunity to reiterate some of the points which we had raised with you.
However, due to the constraints of time today, we will only refer to the
relevant memoranda that had been submitted previously and highlight some
recent developments in the past year.

The issues that concern all non-Muslims including Christians which have been
raised over the years are summarised in the following documents:

1. Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, 
Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) memorandum entitled “RESPECT THE
RIGHT TO PROFESS AND PRACTICE ONE’S RELIGION dated 25  October
2005 and revised in a document entitled “UNITY THREATENED BY
CONTINUING INFRINGEMENTS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM” dated 15 June
2007. The issues mentioned here include –
1.1. The refusal of civil courts to adjudicate cases where the Islamic
ingredient is present.
1.2. Conversion cases that cause hardships to families.
1.3. Land for places of worship and burial grounds.
1.4. Lack of consultation on issues which affect non-Muslims.

2. Christian Federation of Malaysia’s memorandum via a letter dated 21
December 2010 handed to you at the Christmas Hi-Tea in 2010 which
include the following issues:
2.1. Standard policy for places of worship, land for worship, cemetery,
foreign religious workers, etc.
2.2. Standard policy for schools and education policy. (In this regard, we
want our mission schools to maintain its character and the
management and operations should be under our control).
2.3. Tax exemption status for religious organisations and charities,
welfare centres and homes.
2.4. To have a Minister in charge of religious affairs (in particular for
religions other than Islam)
2.5. Freedom of publications and usage of religious / Scripture books of
each religion.
2.6. The lifting of the ban on the usage of the word 'Allah' in the whole
nation. (In particular, the lack of resolution of the Herald, Jill Ireland
and SIB Sabah court cases).

Whilst some issues have been attended to after decades of having been
repeatedly raised, there seems to be an inertia in resolving all remaining issues
constructively and expeditiously.

We wish to express the frustration of our churches and all Christians in having
to deal with lengthy bureaucratic red tape and ever-changing goal posts. We
have exhausted meetings at the highest ministerial level and have made
attempts to dialogue at various levels and yet we often find the most effective
means for action to be taken is when the issues are raised in the public sphere.
Apart from the above, additional problems have arisen in the past year that
have added to the pain and disappointment of Christians. We have witnessed
unprecedented incidences where Christians have been made victims of
unwarranted and unfounded accusations, vilifications, insults, even police
reports and have indeed been made to suffer because of certain actions.
We would have expected our political leaders and the relevant authorities
including the police to have contained and refuted the allegations in the
interest of national harmony and unity and yet their silence seems to be
acquiescence and further condemnation of our Christian community. What
more we see the official organs of government including government controlled
media being used for this purpose with impunity.

We also note that many of the past as well as present issues are based on a
selective reading of the Federal Constitution that is intentionally used to
legitimise discriminatory laws and practices which favours one community over
another. We reiterate that the Federal Constitution guarantees equal rights for
all Malaysians. In particular, there should not be a denial of public space nor an
encroachment of religious freedom.

Given the enormity of the issues facing non-Muslims, together with our
partners in MCCBCHST, we reiterate our proposal for the setting up of a
Ministry of Non-Islamic Affairs to safeguard and protect the interests and
rights of the non-Muslims. This is merely a first step as we are not naïve to
assume that all issues can be resolved by this single Ministry.  It requires the
commitment and collaboration of all other Ministries and organs of
government.  We hope that there will be maximum consultation in respect of
the structure and operations of the Ministry.

The Government should respect the High Court decision in the Herald case
with regard to the use of the word Allah and begin the process of dismantling
laws, regulations, policies, guidelines and directives which restrict and prohibit
other religions from the use of the word Allah and other words.

We thank you for making the time and effort to meet with us.  We would,
however, like to see substantial breakthroughs achieved during the term of
your office in particular in the areas that we have highlighted above and also in
the widening of public space for freedom of expression, a fair electoral process
and the continuous eradication of corruption.

Our Christian churches have often kept your administration and the
Government in our prayers. We always pray that our leaders will be rightly
guided by Almighty God to administer and govern with righteousness, fairness,
justice and wisdom.

There is a very wide and alarming disconnect between  what you intend to
happen and what is happening on the ground.  The policy of moderation which
you uphold does not seem to have filtered down to all levels of government.
If left unchecked, it would be murdering and destroying your own vision of
moderation and goodwill among Malaysians which you have espoused.
We are pained by those ugly manifestations which trample upon moderation.
We Christians would like to work with the Government for the sake of our
beloved Malaysia. In the spirit of Muhibbah we would like to bring the gift of
peace to this country.

May God bless you and the country for the well-being of all Malaysians!

Bishop Datuk Ng Moon Hing
Chairman and the Executive Committee,
Christian Federation of Malaysia

2012 - It's a year for spiritual renewal.

We had celebrated the coming of year 2012. There are a lot of ‘happening’ events taking place, eg. count down concerts, parties, shopping spree. That day also a very important for us especially for Christians, it is also the one-week old Jesus in your life. Do we take the time off to go for thanksgiving mass on the last day of the year? Do we examine ourselves for what good has been done? What wrongs that need to rectify with other people or God? Asking for pardon for what can not be undone, and give praise and glory to God for what has been accomplished through us.

Every human from the very beginning, was made In the image and likeness of God. However, the values and practices of the society made us ignorant to the needs and kindness towards others. We are promoting individualism, materialism. For example, we are so into accumulating wealth that sometimes, we do not care for the consequences of our selfishness. We turn on air-conditioner in the hotel rooms day and night just because ‘we paid for it’. However, we keep on complaining the intolerable heat outdoor. It is by someway caused by the excessive greenhouse gases release by power producers which run on fossil fuel.

Regardless of the genuineness of the myth of ‘2012’, we are to live our life as what has been exhorted by Christ – to be the salt and light of the world. St. Paul in his letters continually foretold “the time is near”, but the people then was living their life with hope till today. There’s no need for unnecessary fear of the judgment day. If we are well-prepared spiritually, we will be celebrating rather than fearing the coming of the Kings of Kings and Lords of Lords.

The Nativity Story told in current world.

A story that has been told to us by our fore-fathers orally, that the Emmanuel was with us here physically on earth 2 centuries ago.

Unfortunately, the current generation is too 'sucked into' the cyber-world and could not relate this story in the same manner it's been told to us.

Therefore, there's this need to put the same story in the context that they knows best - the social network. The Church continues on from the first disciples hand-picked by Christ himself up-to-date. There were many ideology and philosophy arise and gone, e.g. Marxism, Communism, etc. However, the truth will never be over ruled. Christ himself proclaim that he is the way, truth and life. (Jn14:6)

The Church has evolved from her mediaeval faults to adapt to the current world, but the core teachings which were passed down by Christ himself remain unchanged.

"Go and therefore, make disciples of all nations." (Mt28:19a) is the call of Jesus for all of us to reach out to proclaim the Gospel - The Good News. It was told to you personally by the Bishop during your confirmation. Jesus is the words who will reveals himself when you muse through the bible.

He promised :"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."(Jn8:32). Free in this context refers to no lies or misinformation that eventually fails over time.

So, therefore, go and spread this truth to your love ones.

"If I am saved and all of my sins are forgiven, why not continue to sin?"

Question: "If I am saved and all of my sins are forgiven, why not continue to sin?"

Answer: The apostle Paul answered a very similar question in Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” The idea that a person could “trust in Jesus Christ” for salvation and then go on living just as he/she lived before, is absolutely foreign to the Bible. Believers in Christ are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Holy Spirit changes us from producing the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) to producing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The Christian life is a changed life because the Christian is changed.

What differentiates Christianity from every other religion is that Christianity is based on what God has done for us through Jesus Christ—divine accomplishment. Every other world religion is based on what we must do to earn God's favor and forgiveness—human achievement. Every other religion teaches that we must do certain things and stop doing certain other things in order to earn God's love and mercy. Christianity, faith in Christ, teaches that we do certain things and stop doing certain things because of what Christ has done for us.

How could anyone, having been delivered from sin's penalty, eternity in hell, go back to living the same life that had him on the path to hell in the first place? How could anyone, having been cleansed from the defilement of sin, desire to go back to the same cesspool of depravity? How could anyone, knowing what Jesus Christ did on our behalf, go on living as if He were not important? How could anyone, realizing how much Christ suffered for our sins, continue sinning as if those sufferings were meaningless?

Romans 6:11-15 declares, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!”

For the truly converted, then, continuing to live sinfully is not an option. Because our conversion resulted in a completely new nature, our desire is to no longer live in sin. Yes, we still sin, but instead of wallowing in it as we once did, we now hate it and wish to be delivered from it. The idea of “taking advantage” of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf by continuing to live sinfully is unthinkable. If a person believes himself to be a Christian and still desires to live the old, sinful life, he has reason to doubt his salvation. “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Friendship with Jesus: A Camp with A Difference

        Excitement and enthusiasm filled the air as 33 young people from the Church of the Immaculate Conception assembled at Stella Maris, Penang for a bonding and fellowship with Jesus.   It was held on 25 - 27 November 2012 and was facilitated by Sr. Gertrude Tan, IJS with her team of facilitators, Florita Tan Buenaobra, Valentine Gill, Jelorie Peroja and Asella Jessica Goon.  

       A Bible Enthronement, facilitated by Sr. Gertrude Tan, set the mood for a prayerful  and meaningful introduction to be nourished by God’s Word during the whole camp.

      The awareness session was done very creatively by Jessica Goon where participants were asked to pick their secret friend and to encourage them to write positive notes of affirmation.  


      The session on the sense of belonging and acceptance was conducted by Valentine Gill.  The participants were given the opportunity to reflect on their sense of belonging to self, family, friends and God.  To emphasize the sense of belonging, two movies were shown, “The Outsider” and the “Children of Heaven”.  These were followed by a Movie Forum conducted by Sr. Gertrude Tan.   This helped the participants to reflect on the movies and to share on their life experiences. 

     The praise and worship, games and campfire were facilitated by the older group led by Daniel Cheong , Jessica Goon and Janell Ng from the Church of the Immaculate Conception.  These really helped in the bonding where many innate gifts were discovered.

 

         A Taizé prayer was a moment of quiet time with God which provided the participants a space to be united with the Lord in songs and mantras.  Tea candles were lighted in the form of a cross reminding them of the love, suffering, death and resurrection of the Lord.

After the Taizé Prayer

       The final ritual is a summary of what they have learnt during the camp.  This is an  opportunity to remember the sacred moments of their experiences of bonding and friendship.  

      This was done through a simple ceremony by the facilitators in honoring each participant with a blue ribbon, symbolizing his or her uniqueness - “Who Am I Makes A Difference.”

        Hands together to Fr. Michael Cheah and the Parish Pastoral Council for the financial support and prayers.  A heartfelt thanks also goes to Florita Tan Buenaobra and her assistants for the enthusiasm and support in organizing this friendship camp without forgetting Catherine Tan who helped in the planning as well as the parents who came and shared the pot bless with the participants. 

by:  Jelorie

Youth Leaders Prepare for PDYD 2

It was with great enthusiasm and joy that 28 youth leaders from the five districts of the Diocese of Penang gathered at the Church of St. Anne in Bukit Mertajam to plan for the second Penang Diocesan Youth Day (PDYD 2) which will be held on the 16^th – 19^th of November 2012 in Penang island.

The 2-day meeting was organized and facilitated by the Pre-PDYD 2 committee composed of the staff of the Penang Diocesan Youth Network (PDYN), WYD 2011 pilgrims, representatives from CHOICE Penang and members of Islander´s Tamil Youth Network (ITYN). 

The Bible Enthronement, led by Sr. Gertrude Tan, IJS, highlighted the Word of God as the source of inspiration and wisdom.   Each participant offered a lighted candle as a symbolic gesture of openness and commitment.  

Fr. Dominic Santhiyagu, the director of PDYN, cheerfully welcomed the participants and presented the theme for PDYD 2 celebration.  The reflection on the theme, Rejoice in the Lord always! (Phil 4.4) was facilitated by Sr. Gertrude Tan where participants were asked to reflect and share in small  groups the sources and hindrances of abiding joy, love and trust in Jesus and the experiences of hopelessness and ways to overcome it.

A  beautiful and touching testimony from the World Youth Day (WYD) 2011 pilgrims followed where varied experiences of joy, conversion and  encounter with God were highlighted.   Michael Peter Foo wrapped up the sharing with the line, “The spiritual journey in the WYD is an invitation to focus our gaze on Christ.” 

The invitation to focus our gaze on Christ was the central point of the planning for PDYD 2 which was facilitated by Fr. Dominic Santhiyagu.  Proposals made by the Pre-PDYD 2 committee were presented and participants discussed them in small groups.  The final plan was presented and accepted by all the participants. 

The experience of outpouring commitment and generosity ended with ritual on lights, facilitated by Sr. Gertrude Tan,  reminding them of their responsibility to continue to share their experiences.  Members of the PDYD 2 committee were presented to the group and Fr. Dominic Santhiyagu asked the participants to join him in blessing the youth leaders who generously accepted the responsibility to make PDYD 2 a reality. 

By: Jelorie

Malaysian Catholic Youth Ministers' Committee Meeting