The Sibu churches who received grants from the federal government during the recent by-election plan have missed the chance to take a public stand against vote-buying.
They intend to keep the money, their pastors offering a host of reasons, some of them maybe legitimate: it’s public money; they had applied for the money earlier; they went through proper procedures; what can they do if the money is given during the campaign; there were no conditions attached; they are tax-paying citizens as well.
One pastor was even reported as saying the grant was a “special opportunity given by God” for which the church should be grateful. (Now, that’s too much!) Another pastor even said the grant had nothing to do with the by-election.
Here’s the larger picture the pastors missed in their arguments: was there any certainty they were going to get those grants – if not for the Sibu by-election? What if many among the public, whose money it was in the first place, viewed the award and timing of those grants as vote-buying? Doesn’t that count?
Don’t these churches see that in returning the money and snubbing the giver, they would be deterring other attempts at vote-buying in future?
I think they lost a valuable opportunity to make a statement and public stand against vote-buying.
May they enjoy their grants and sleep well.
Are you expecting a blanket higher moral standing from religious groups? You’ll die a disappointed man.
The lowest creatures usually hide behind religious mask coz that’s safest and most convenient. Until today the irish church is still protecting their peadophiles. Have faith in god but not in those who claim to represent god.
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Orang-orang gereja merupakan pengampun yang terbesar. Mereka sanggup mengampun segala kesilapan dan menerima orang-orang yang telah insaf akan kesalahannya.
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Forgive is not the same as protecting criminals. Going by the same logic, the ‘pengampun terbesar’ is not orang-orang gereja. It’s the crime organizations. They never fail to ‘forgive and accept’.
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The question of keeping or rejecting the fund is not the issue.
The issue is on the part of the giver, who has shrewdly used the timing of disbursing the legitimate fund.
The giver has manipulated the timing well to his utmost advantage by using the people money. He is the fund manager, and he chose this time most beneficial to him.
This is political acumen which has nothing to do with integrity of the receipients.
This is the same for the three million to Rusa Primary School in Hulu Selangor.
The only difference between the two is one they get what they want, the other, they don’t.
Again, the receipients’ incorruptibility and honesty are irrelevant to the political judgement, be it good or bad taste!
So, churches, keep the money and continue to vote against corruption! We are proud of you!
Maju lah Sibu. Cintai lah Malaysia!
(F Tew , Penang Island, 26-5-2010)
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Well said hasilox. Besides, they can repent just before death and still go to heaven. Enjoy first.
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Repetitive parrot, RPK told you this logic and you believe totally. RPK also told you 16 Sept 2008 project. RPK also told you that Anwar is dispensable and Selangor MB Khalid is a failure[1]. Do you believe it or not ???
What RPK never tell your is that the churches are typically the first ones that involved in ANY donation program for urgent events like wars, natural disasters, public awareness programs, etc.
Their passion, kindness and ability to call the contribution from public, NGOs and even government agencies for the good causes never acknowledged by you or RPK meh ???
Remember Johor’s massive flood ??? Tsunami in Indonesia ??? Food supply for starving Penans in Sarawak ???
sunnyooi, don’t be too cloudy in your thought. Open your eyes and look at their contributions. They deserve a place in the heaven.
Reference:
[1]http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/news/general/6030-rpk-anwar-is-dispensable-khalid-a-failure
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Gerakan K,
And as usual, you conveniently forgot that RPK said that DAP in Penang under LGE is a success story, and Gerakan was a failure in Government and a failure in Opposition?
Salam Reformasi, PAS for ALL!
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Gerakan K,
If heaven is full of these priests and the likes of you, then hell is fine by me.
Let me parrot Mark Twain:
“Go to heaven for the climate, hell for the company.”
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I have forgiven you for your insulting statement.
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Anilnetto,
please lah. Don’t learn the bad thing from rocket. The religious people are the peaceful ones. They rarely use the word OPPOSE.
Also don’t learn the bad thing from the moon. Don’t mix politics and religions.
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Ah…
Prices of everything is going up, but, prices of padi are going down, just how much furher does BN want to exploit the poor farmers?
Just like the stalks of padi in Gerakan flags, it had long dried up. Just cannot survive in new Malaysian political environment anymore. Need to resort to lies, spins, money, but, always rejected. A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS/Islamic State cannot work now, just what to do? The non Malays are joining PAS club at such huge numbers, as at yesterday it was already 38,000 members. Ah… they will very soon overtake Gerakan’s membership.
Scratching head… just what does the voters want? Why do they love RPK so much?
PAS for All, Salam Reformasi.
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My philosophy is if BN want to give you money, take the money and then vote opposition!
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Hi everyone,
I’d like to stress first that I’m not ‘preaching’ that “I’m holier than thou”. Though it’s the public’s money, I do agree with you, Mr Anil, that had it not been for the “buy-election”, would these churches have obtained the grants?
The pastors’ denial syndrom is only going to split their congregations’ positions! Anyway, like hasilox, we believe in god, but, at times, be a bit sceptical of people who claim to represent god!
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The pastors are the learned and the peaceful ones.
They value harmony, they appreciate contribution, they have a lot of noble things to do than causing tensions and conflicts.
They have no personal agenda. They intent to do good. In short they are not politicians like LGE and LKS.
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Oh yes, never mind, you may accept the so called fund, but never allow it to make you changed your mind on the ballot paper.
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Holy …! This has nothing to do with your god lah. It’s the Peoples-GOD you should be thankful to.
Yeah it’s tax-payers money, not Najib’s, not Taib’s nor BN’s or UMNO’s! They are put there to manage the nations coffer and if you don’t take the money, it will ultimately go deep into the pockets of this corrupt regime!
Just take the money and use it wisely, handle with care and any balance do try to share it out to aid the hardcore poor and the underprivileged.
Kow-tow and say “THANK YOU GOOD PEOPLE/TAX-PAYERS OF MALAYSIA, YOU MADE IT POSSIBLE”! Yeah if they were not threatened, you think they will grant your requests? Dream on!
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By my experience, Churches and Christians in this country do believe in separation of church and state. Actually secularity is a modern invention not traditional Christian one. In Western countries except for a small minority of religious right, churches preaches separation of church and state. In that sense, what is so surprising about churches in Malaysia not standing up clearly for separation of church and politics?
We are a country confused about politics and religion. At the root, it comes from our dependency and lack of self-reliant system. As a secularist, I say if you don’t like what the church is doing, stop going or listening to them.
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So the Sibu churches have made their decision. A decision which I cannot agree with inspite of the points tendered like “prior application made”, “it’s public money”, etc.
I still hold that it was a golden opportunity for the 4 churches to declare publically that anything which smacks, or may smack, of vote-buying is not acceptable.
A money-cannot-buy chance to tell Najib to his face that his RM5m “You help me, I help you” deal is shameful and wrong.
In the light of that blatant conditional offer to the Rejang Park folks, Would the churches have been willing to challenge Najib’s offer with an open declaration that “they are thankful for the offer, but want an assurance that the money will be given after the polls results are announced, and irrespective of the polls outcome”?
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We should all listen to Anwar Ibrahim.
Take the BN money. After all, it’s your money. BUT vote Pakatan. After all, that’s your right as a citizen.
You have the right to vote. You have the right to choose your representative. You have the right under the constitution. So, vote with a clear agenda for a better M’sia.
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These pastors are everything except being true to Jesus. Many of these born again are there in the business of religion, rather than to save the soul. Do you think they will give back the free money?
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I really cannot agree with you here, Anil. As long as the churches did not compel/encourage their members to vote BN, what is there to justify? So the timing is not good. Churches are starved of funds as it is. Rejecting such grants would be like cutting off the nose to spite the face. The grants given if returned by the church would have been used for some other (presumably less noble) purposes. Are we going to ask for the Rakyat to rip up roads that were repaired during by elections? Return cash gifts, cut off recently connected water/electricity? Schools remain dilapidated as funds were returned?
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No, I just want the churches to take a public stand against vote buying.
By the way, do you think St Paul ever applied for funds from Caesar or other political rulers for the early Christian communities/churches?
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Not a very applicable comparison here, Anil. You are comparing two very, very different circumstances.
I say it is fine to take the money. Probably most of the churchgoers voted for Pakatan as well.
I rather they take the money, otherwise UMNO will eat it all up. Frankly, you can make whatever stand you want Anil, and the churches could have done what you wanted them to do, but it won’t change one bit. UMNO could not care less about your stand or that of the churches.
So stop being so smug.
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Anil. Whatever happened to – take the money – but vote as you should?
Even the opposition said in other buy elections that if they are offered the money, take it but you do not necessarily vote BN
The sums involved may be different but the principle is the same.
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Wah!!! I am confused now, dont know what is right and what is wrong…
Of course, Anil is right to say that the Church should take this opportunity to make a stand against vote buying.
I will be most proud of the Church if it does this, and i think the angels will clap and sing Halleluyah, praising God in the heavenlies…
However, the churches have been poor for a long time and SUDDENLY, millions of ringgit just drop from heaven according to the pastors or maybe one of them to be precise.
I think the only person who can reject that offer is Jesus himself.
Satan being satan, it wont give you something free for nothing…
So, I think maybe we have to out-smart the satan, that is, take the money (afterall, it is ours, our taxes) and vote for justice, freedom and democracy, in that case, i think, we wont be wrong.
Salam and Reformasi!
P/s Gerakan k, what makes you think that the pastors voted
for BN, shiok sendiri, eh?
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Anil, The Sibu Churches HAVE TAKEN A SOLID stand against vote buying.
They have accepted the donations, with NO STRINGS attached. Never once did they say they ask their congregation to vote BN.
There is so much of work that needs to be done to help the down-trodden in East Malaysia.
These churches have done GREAT work for the poor, so just let it ride with the extra funding.
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Can we all be a bit more creative? Is the dilemma for the 4 churches to just (a) pay back or (b) to keep the money?
There is a third win-win option which is far better for everyone: (c) put the money in a 1Malaysia Anti-Vote Buying fund which will collect all previous questionable monies paid (e.g. Hulu Selangor school). Use this fund to counter any future offers by BN or Pakatan. I’ll bet you the fund will be a public relations success for democracy even if it may not match the incumbent government’s election budget.
Then we can all try to raise money for the churches and schools through a donation campaign to meet their financial needs.
These ideas are eloborated in the reader’s comments in Micah Mandate and jeremiahliang.blogspot.com:
“In an ongoing debate on the Micah Mandate website regarding the suitability and wisdom of accepting money during election campaigns, I believe a good idea to resolve the political dilemma for voters is to set up a special anti-vote buying fund contributed by all the monies that the parties have given (legally, illegally, ethically or unethically) to sway voters’ voting decisions.”
Read more and feel free to comment at:
http://jeremiahliang.blogspot.com/2010/05/1malaysia-anti-vote-buying-fund.html
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If you return the money which is the Peoples money, indirectly R… will go on a shopping spree in New York, London and Paris! You want that to happen?
Did you hear Idris Jala, Minister in PM Dept just said that this country will go bankrupt in 9 years? You want them to stay that long? Let’s make sure we wipe them out once and for all, GE-13!
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The money belong to the people. So what’s wrong with taking it?.
Besides, the churches are not voting the govt/BN but rather its members who I presume are not stupid enough to vote for the BN, as what happened in Sibu.
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Well they say the love of money corrupts. How true that is. It seems that these people are just eager to get their hands on the money by graying the matter out as much as possible.
Why does these national leaders only visit Sibu during the election time? Is this to say and show that the people of Sibu is only important when election nears? Why were they NOT visited by these big shots during non-election days? Why were the money given during the dizzy election campaign? The answer couldn’t be much clearer. It is to induce the 4 churches or the Sibu Christians to vote for the BN government.
Imagine a “christian” going to church only on Christmas day but continues to lie, cheat, womanize, get drunk the rest of the year. That is how BN behaves. BN will never change. How easily the church is enticed by the money give out by this corrupt government.
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Whatever our views regarding the buying of votes-4 Sibu churches having missed opportunity to make a stand issue,Jehovah’s children must not fall into the trap of being disunited. If we do, we will really fall into the more sinister trap of being divided so that the arrogant/corrupt (whowever they may be) may rule. Take it as a lesson for all of us to begin to be more aware of the roles God has given us when He created and placed us on this land called Malaysia. Pastors must no longer close their eyes to local issues that affect all peoples made in His image for true freedom in Christ. If pastors (from any tradition) need education on earthly issues, let some of those who are more enlightened teach them. I believe such a step will be much appreciated by pastors who care enough to learn at your feet and pray for wisdom and encourage and love to do better next time round. Pastors who are not bothered need to search the Scriptures deeper or they may like to look for another job. Peace.
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