The Malaysian Insight

A CHRISTIAN group has thrown its support behind Selangor Speaker Hannah Yeoh by asking for signatures on an online petition to stop legal harassment of the DAP politician over her autobiography.
 
CitizenGO, A Spanish based online petition website, started the petition on Saturday, which is addressed to five people, including the  Selangor sultan and Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali.

The online petition has so far garnered 7,492 signatures. Its target is 10,000 signatures.

The petition states that Yeoh was simply relating her experience as a Christian in her book, “Becoming Hannah”, and was not trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.

“Yeoh’s book, which was published in 2015, is now at the centre of allegations of ‘proselytising’. And, while proselytising against Islam is an offence in Malaysia, Yeoh’s book simply reports on her experiences in the context of her faith,” the statement accompanying the  petition reads.

The statement asserts that Yeoh has every right to profess and practise her religion according to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

“And yet, in Selangor (one of Malaysia’s 13 states) today, a Christian politician is under fire for having written an autobiography telling how her Christian faith helped her choose a career-path in public service.”

The statement goes on to call for action to be taken against Universiti Utara Malaysia senior lecturer Kamarul Yusoff trying to “legally harrass” Yeoh. Kamarul had lodged a police report alleging that Yeoh was attempting to proselytise to Muslims through her book.

The statement urged the sultan and menteri besar of Selangor to intervene and uphold the law.“In the end, this petition asks that this complaint not be entertained by the Malaysian courts.”

Yeoh’s book, “Becoming Hannah” drew controversy when Kamarul said on Facebook that the book was aimed at converting Muslims.

Kamarul also lodged a police report against Yeoh in Kedah to counter Yeoh’s police report against his May 10 Facebook post.

CitizenGO is a Spanish foundation working from a Christian perspective to preserve the dignity and rights of all. – May 29, 2017.