FT Minister ‘regrets’ misinterpreted remark about churches

KUALA LUMPUR: Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor has denied saying Christian leaders were using churches to air personal grievances against the government.

Tengku Adnan said he only used churches in the broader sense to remind all houses of worship, including “mosques, surau and temples”, not to spread falsehoods that can lead to hatred.

“I regret that my speech at the Titiwangsa Kenduri 1Wilayah Persekutuan this morning had been misinterpreted by Malaysia Insight,” he said in a statement yesterday.

“I did not say the church institution is a place to spread defamation. I only reminded all houses of worship to continue their respective religious activities and not make a place of worship as a centre to spread fake news until it causes hatred against the government. Whatever news disseminated in houses of worship on current issues must be verified so as not to cause defamation,” he added.

The minister asserted that he had personally defended the use of a plot of land in Kampung Pandan Indah for the construction of a new church building, although it was unclear why he mentioned it.

“I only referred to the church as an example as what I said was representative of all other houses of worship, including mosques, surau, and temples,” the Barisan Nasional secretary-general ended in his short statement.

The Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) has also denied that churches are spreading fake news and lies.