Nine students arrested at UPM
Here is the full news provided by AP:
KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia) – MALAYSIAN police have arrested nine Christians accused of trying to convert Muslim university students – a serious crime punishable by prison in this Muslim-majority country, a lawyer said on Wednesday.
The suspects have denied the allegation, which could aggravate complaints by religious minorities that authorities are increasingly ignoring their rights in favour of Islam.
Proselytising of Muslims by members of other religions is forbidden in Malaysia, though the reverse is allowed. Muslims, who comprise nearly two-thirds of Malaysia’s 28 million people, are also not legally permitted to change religion.
Police detained the nine in a hostel room at the Universiti Putra Malaysia near Kuala Lumpur late on Tuesday, said Annou Xavier, a lawyer who handles cases involving religion. He spoke to The Associated Press by phone from the police station where the nine are being held.
They claimed they were visiting friends, but a Muslim student apparently filed a police complaint accusing them of trying to convert Muslims, Mr Xavier said.
‘These allegations are baseless and untrue,’ Mr Xavier said.
The identities of the nine were not immediately clear. The Malaysian Insider independent news Web site said they were students belonging to a Malaysian Christian organisation.
Zahedi Ayob, the police chief of Sepang district near Kuala Lumpur, said he could not immediately confirm the arrests.
Cases of non-Muslims preaching to Muslims are rare in Malaysia.
Penalties differ for various states, but most provide for prison terms of at least two years. One northern state also prescribes a punishment of six lashes with a rattan cane.
Selangor police deny nine Christians detained at UPM
The latest news from News Straits Times, policemen admitted that they made mistake and deny nine Christians detained at UPM saying the group was merely doing research by conducting a survey. Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said the nine were handing out forms and questionnaires on Christianity, not propagating the religion, at the Universiti Putra Malaysia campus in Serdang.
In other words, if those students really propagated their religion, they definitely would be detained?? I don’t know if there is freedom of religion in Malaysia and I don’t want to make any judgement here.
Brothers and sisters, what do you think?
You can check out some information about Freedom of Religion in Malaysia and Christian Proselytization in wikipedia.
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It is very SENSITIVE !!!
The saddest thing is that they do not understand other’s religion practise and believe. And as for Christainity it is not a religion, it is a relationship between human (Christain)and God (Jesus). If they do not come to understand , they do not know.
Anyway, just pray for God’s mercy, grace and deliverance for the nations of Malaysia.
Yes, it is. Very very sensitive. That’s the reason I put Question Mark in the title and I don’t want to make any judgement on the blog.
Just pray to our leaders, our governments, our country and for those people haven’t accepted Jesus Christ.