At a gathering with local Christians last night, DAP deputy secretary-general Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham told a crowd of about 200 to show their unhappiness over the ‘Allah’ row on May 16.
Ngeh also told the all Chinese crowd that they have the responsibility to help Malay speaking Christians in West Malaysia who are subjected to a ruling banning the use of the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God in the national language.
DAP Sarawak chief Wong Ho Leng is facing Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Robert Lau Hui Yew in the by-election, the country’s 11th since Election 2008. Both belong to the Methodist church.
Wong had promised to seek a solution to the ‘Allah’ row if elected while Lau and his party SUPP had said the issue is irrelevant in the campaign as the ban is not enforced in the Malaysia’s largest state.
Ngeh who used to teach at Sunday school said Al-Kitab, the Malay translation of the Bible used to be accepted as a sacred book of the Christians until the ruling was enforced.
“If you don’t speak up now one day they will classify Christianity as subversive.
“The Christians of Sarawak must help the Christians of West Malaysia. It is tougher for us because we are only 10 per cent (of the population),” he said at a public gathering themed ‘An Evening with Pakatan Christian Leaders’ at a hotel here.
Ngeh also told the crowd not to fear the party’s cooperation with PAS in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as the Islamist party can never form the government on its own.
Former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamal made a surprise appearance at the talk, telling the crowd to follow the footsteps of the West Malaysian Chinese who strongly supported PR in Election 2008.
Quoting the Quran, the PAS central committee member asked those present to look beyond the differences within the federal opposition for the sake of eradicating corruption.
“PAS alone could not have eradicated corruption, DAP alone could not do it. But after 2008 we came together for the fight against corruption,” said Nizar.
Another speaker, PKR’s Datuk Tan Kee Kwong told the crowd to reject BN because of the party leaders’ corrupt practices.
“You cannot be fence-sitters anymore you must spread the message of the Gospel,” said Tan.
More than 50 per cent of the 54,695 Sibu voters are Christians.
Last night’s event was the PR’s first public gathering with the Christian voters in the constituency.
The talk was also attended by PKR’s Datuk Seri Chua Jui Meng, DAP vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, DAP organising secretary Teresa Kok and Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh.
The DAP had last week organised a closed-door meeting with the local church leaders in an attempt to gauge the Christians’ response to national issues affecting the community.