KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — The Home Ministry today denied claims made by a Christian organisation that it had confiscated and detained 5,000 bibles printed in the Malay language that had been imported from Indonesia.

The ministry clarified in a statement that the bibles actually had been refused entry into Malaysia for not fulfilling the ministry’s requirements.

The statement said that a letter of refusal dated June 26, 2010 had been sent to the importer; however, the importer had yet to claim the cargo.

Hence, allegations by the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) that the ministry had confiscated and detained the bibles were inaccurate and misleading, the statement added.

Yesterday, NECEF secretary-general Sam Ang claimed that the ministry had confiscated and detained the bibles in Port Klang since last year and refused to release them although the Cabinet had approved the release of the consignment. — Bernama