Bishop denies playing politics
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Council of Churches (SCC) president Bishop Datuk Melter Jiki Tais denied he was playing politics when he commented on freedom of religion in Sabah.
“I was saddened when I was informed of a news portal that misinterpreted my words as to be directed at an opposition party,” he said to FMT (Free Malaysia Today).
Melter said he lamented the fact that not only did the portal put words in his mouth, it also used his picture together with a photo of an opposition party leader on their website.
Expressing his regret, Melter stressed that the church was apolitical and should not be used as a political tool by any side.
“I was merely saying that Christians in the state have been enjoying the freedom to worship and that we had no issues here, even on the use of the word Allah,” he said.
The article on the Malaylanguage Sabah-based news portal titled ‘Majlis Gereja Selar Presiden Warisan politikkan agama Kristian’ (Council of Churches slams Warisan president for politicising Christianity) was uploaded on Wednesday night.
The article also stated Melter ‘criticised the attitude of Parti Warisan Sabah leaders who used religion for politics’.
On Tuesday, following a courtesy call to Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Haji Aman at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly building to extend an official invitation to the Chief Minister to grace the Kota Kinabalu Christmas Celebration 2017, Melter had said that Sabahans have always been living in harmony despite religious differences.
He also pointed out that it has been a privilege and a blessing to live in Sabah where freedom of religion was guaranteed and people of different faiths lived together like brothers and sisters.
Melter, who is also Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Sabah, had used the occasion to thank the Chief Minister for the continued financial support from the state government to non-Muslim bodies and schools in the state.
“For the record, I have never commented on politics during the meeting. I did not mention any political party. The article made it looked like the president of the SCC or churches in Sabah are favouring one political party over another.
“Because of the damage it has done, I demand an apology from the said news portal and to remove the article from its site within three days, failing which legal action will be taken against them,” he said.