Christian Perspectives on Politics in Malaysia (Reloaded) IV

And the finale … at least for this series.

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1000 apologies for the delay of the final installment. Domestic responsibilities, church ministry, and some extra clutter has slowed me down. But before the Chinese New year, and the next elections. I thought it’s best to wrap this conversation up for now. Thanks for persevering through the ride If you want to catch up a little … you can go back to Part I, Part II and Part III. All those in blue are added to the original interview…

Christian concerns and needs of churches

Chun Wai: The number of Christians has risen to around nine to 10% of the population, even larger than the Indians at about 6.3%. Why is the voice of Christianity more subdued than other religions?

Kim Kong: The church’s main concern is spiritual rather than political. Also, the church, as a whole, does not have a common political agenda to bind them together. I think the separation between the state and religion is a very clear doctrine of Christians.

Steven: It is a false dichotomy to differentiate between spiritual and political. Christian spirituality encompasses the material world and this includes politics. As I have mentioned, we have a very strong precedence in the ancient biblical prophets. And it was shown that Jesus himself saw that his ministry was not merely �spiritual� in our popular understanding but had a tangible social agenda. Thus to say that being spiritual is one thing and being political is another is a huge fallacy, albeit one which has plagued certain sections of the church for centuries.

Raj: True Christian spirituality must involve how we live our whole lives. We cannot differentiate between being more concerned with spiritual matters verses political. Our political involvement can be an outcome of, and an expression of our spirituality.

Sivin: I prefer to say that the church’s main concern is for the good of the world, and especially for people – whom may be seen as the least, the last and the lost. Least in the eyes of society, last to be given needed attention, and lost in terms of life direction and overall purpose of existence. And since the church connects this with God’s agenda for the world, thus the spiritual dimension transcends our limited human vision, an integrated and holistic perspective is still in touch with human life and suffering which has both personal and public implications. So, here again we run full cycle in this conversation and cannot run away from dealing with politics. The church cannot be driven by political agendas outside of herself, but the church cannot ignore decisions made by politicians affecting the environment all people live in. So, there is a kind of critical and yet creative engagement with the public sphere – perhaps more directly in partnership with civil society, and indirectly and cautiously with the government and even political parties when necessary. This may take a more institutional form like the Christian Federation Malaysia as an important voice to public discourse, or the encouragement of individuals who are already engaged in various spheres of influence.

Christian Perspectives on Politics in Malaysia (Interlude Reloaded too!)

I have included the comments in the previous posts.  Here are some extra ones:

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1. millemeow says:

   1 FEBRUARY, 2008 AT 4:39 AM

   edwin paul,

   juz outta curiosity, whr did u hear abt tis flag burning incident?

   i was one among the many of the 10/11 bersih participants who was present at the “flashzone” of masjid jamek from the beginning until the end when we dispersed to march towards the istana. even when subjected to physical attacks by the gorilla enforcers of pdrm, i did not witness even one single ugly (or as u hv defined it, “outrageous”) incident such as tat of flag burning. on the contrary, one of the many epiphanies i had on tat eventful day was from observing the victims who stood resilient despite multiple blows at the receiving end of the teargas and water cannon. they had displayed tremendous restraint instead of giving in to retaliation by way of violence. and to these brothers from PAS, i salute them, for even under the most arduous of maltreatment, they did not buckle. it has certainly made a whole world of difference in how i view them and their religious faith now.

2. Collin Nunis says:

   1 FEBRUARY, 2008 AT 10:53 AM

   Oh come on Edwin, you can’t be that passive about this, can you?

   While I personally feel that public walkout and protests are something we need to work on, it being something in its infant stages here in Malaysia, something needs to be done and we can all contribute to it in our own way. The point here is, affirmative action must be taken to make sure that we get heard. But in our own way.

   So some of us are frustrated with the political situation… Lets do something about it. Depending on what gifts the Spirit has blessed us with, we can do something to contribute to a cause that will benefit the country. The people in Bersih came together for a common cause by walking throughout the city to send a message. If you don’t want to protest, fine. But don’t sideline these people and imply that they’re not doing the right thing. Being patriots in their own little way, it would stupid of them to burn the flag. They defeat their purpose in doing so and suppose, no one who’s suffering for the country’s sake will do such a thing. Amen.

3. Bob K says:

   1 FEBRUARY, 2008 AT 10:07 PM

   I think it was in reference to the roadshow by BERSIH in Batu Burok, Terengganu where a ceramah was supposed to be held. The crackdown was pretty bad too and the press focussed on an unknown individual who was caught on camera burning the flag. However, it was not mentioned who that individual was and how that person was affiliated with BERSIH plus the photograph was allegedly taken a few hours after things have settled down.

   What the press didn’t mention though, at least until much later, was that 2 local residents were shot by plainclothes police officers; one in the chest and the other in the neck. And instead of investigating the officers for a possible unlawful discharge of a firearm in a public place, the 2 victims were charged for rioting instead. Go figure.

4. Bob K says:

   1 FEBRUARY, 2008 AT 10:23 PM

   In fact, it kinda reminds me of what the Chinese government did after the 1989 Tiananmen protests. After sending in tanks and armed troops to break up the protest, and in the process causing quite a few deaths (the actual figure is still disputed, from a few hundred to a few thousand), the propaganda machine swung into action and the victims quickly labelled 土匪 (bandits) or 流氓 (rogues).

   With their absolute control of the media, it wasn’t too difficult and the fact remains that in China today, most young people below the age of 25 cannot identify some of the more iconic symbols of that period like the photograph of the solitary man who stopped a column of tanks or the statue of the goddess of democracy. And for those that do know a bit about what happened, most of them are not aware that it originated in university campuses nationwide and are under the impression that it was a mob riot.

   Apparently we learnt quite a bit from that. Of course this is a different age and the “culprits” would most probably be labelled 恐怖份子 (terrorist) today .. kinda like how, depending on which audience is being addressed, a Malayalee can be accused of being a Tamil Tiger and groups like BERSIH villified as being a Malay movement (hence implying that its none of our business).

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Christian Perspectives on Politics in Malaysia (Reloaded)III

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I’m happy the two earlier blog posts Christian Perspectives on Politics in Malaysia I andChristian Perspectives on Politics in Malaysia II is generating some conversation even though there isn’t an avalanche of comments. Maybe the Invisible Blue Gang isn’t that provocative or controversial. Then again, we always meant to join the panel to talk about the issues not to focused on rhetoric. Tonight we carry on the third installment. Let’s see where this will lead us. perhaps to a better tomorrow?

Chun Wai: In Malaysia, politics have always been quite partisan and even emotional at times. While the church may agree on certain issues, there’s always the question of approaches that can divide the congregation. For example, the pastor can be very anti- or pro-government, and the congregation is made up of people with various political affiliations and they may not be too happy with the stand taken by the pastor. Will that create division in church?

Steven: There are many issues that can divide an institution not just politics, but I guess this is where maturity and the Christian�s concept of brotherly love comes in. Everyone ought to be welcomed and given the space to express themselves and with such space respect ought to be given for the persons even if we differ in ideologies. We cannot treat our congregation as childish and immature to handle differences.

Hermen: You just take one issue, let’s say our response to a certain concern. And then, you will find in the church some will say get involved, others say don’t. They are no different from the rest of society.

Sivin: The church has always dealt with divisions since day one. And we still do, whether we like it or not. We have been learning and still learning how to cope with diversity of legitimate view points without being divided, and yet sometimes division maybe inevitable on this side of heaven. This may range from the what may seem the most trivial like musical taste to the more critical doctrinal differences. I’m confident we can learn to deal with the issue of politics. My reading of the Gospels give me an impression that even Jesus early disciples came from differing political persuasions. Historically and even today we can locate a diversity of responses to politics and our relation to the government. So handling strong diverse views is a constant challenge.

The question for me, is why do people take these positions? What are the factors influencing them to decide their conclusions? Even if a pastor’s stand may at first glance appear to create division. Perhaps, we need to ask deeper questions beyond whether one is happy or not with the pastor’s opinion. We’re talking a little too abstract here. Which frustrates me a little. Let’s take a concrete example, if I take a stand to choose to dialogue not only with UMNO or MCA politicians but also am willing to engage PKR, DAP or PAS politicians (which usually is seen as anti-government), it is potentially divisive because we are seen as being used by either party, but then it may also reflect the maturity of the church in engaging strongly opposing views. What if the dialogue is in order for me as a religious leader not only to clarify their views, but also hopefully they would be open to our input?

Chun Wai: Teresa, you are a Catholic and Catholic churches are known to be more vocal, please share your experience.

Churches being missiologically & politically responsible

Much needed wisdom on what does it mean for Churches to be responsible to God and the rakyat without being partisan:

“…churches will never act as if they’re the “Christian department” of DAP or—God forbid—Umno. The churches and pastors… would never declare that Anwar Ibrahim (or Lim Guan Eng or Karpal Singh, for that matter) is “anointed by God” or is the one divinely chosen. The key here is about recommending and encouraging a vote, NOT commanding that the congregation vote a certain way lest they act contrary to the eternally-ordained ways of God.”
(Alwyn Lau, ‘Naming Names’, in The Bible and the Ballot: Reflections on Christian Political Engagement in Malaysia Today, edited by Joshua Woo and Soo-Inn Tan, p.5)

Christian Perspectives on Politics in Malaysia (Reloaded)II

 

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We started the ball rolling with our little creative non-fiction experiment with Christian Perspectives on Politics in Malaysia I. And here’s our second installment. Again nothing fancy, just raw from the heart stuff hopefully with enough clear headedness from a bunch of nobodies (I mean those of us responding in blue…) But then, while we maybe nobodies depending on who looks at us. We are still part and parcel of Malaysia, and also belonging to the Christian family as well. So here goes…. I repeat we were not there for the original interview, but thanks to the internet, we are virtually there now from the future ….

Politics from the pulpit

Chun Wai: In one particular church in Petaling Jaya, we have received feedback that the person concerned had been bringing up strong political views which some in the congregation perceived to be anti-government. And sometimes, the members feel uncomfortable because when they go to church, they want quiet time with God to unload their burdens, but they end up hearing political views. Does this kind of orientation fit in?

Steven Sim: I guess we have to relook at going to church for ‘quiet time with god’. I think that’s important but more than that we need to realize that the church is not an escapade to go into some sort of religious state of denials and god should not be made to be an excuse to run away from the problems of the world. Christians are called to groan with the suffering world. St Paul said that the Church needs to identify and suffer with the world where it is at pain. And while we are at this, god through his Spirit will groan in us and through us.

Pastor Raj: Going to church is not just for quiet time with God. We are called to carry the needs/pains of the people to God, and this is where being aware of situations in our nation is important. As we go to God in worship, we also bring the needs and pain of our fellow citizens to God. We reflect on God and the situation and that should inform us on how to respond as followers of Christ to the situation in the nation.

Kim Kong: I think the Bible is very clear � the church has to be apolitical and not be involved in the political process directly. The church is a neutral institution; we cannot take any political inclination towards any particular party or candidate. However, the biblical value of good government can be taught.

Steven: While we may mean other things, to me using the word ‘apolitical’ is like putting an apathetic period to the issue. I think what is clear in the Bible is that Christians are called to be utterly biased for justice, peace and truth. In this sense, we are never to be neutral. Of course, I can agree that the church as an institution cannot be partisan, but we are never to be passive and neutral, and still less apolitical. We have to differentiate between being political and being partisan, that�s important.

Whom did the ancient prophets addressed? Usually kings, rulers, lawmakers, policy makers, community leaders, land owners, employers. And what issues did the prophets raised? We�ll be surprised, they were usually on good governance, justice, tax laws, trade, exploitations of workers and foreigners.

Christian Perspectives on Politics in Malaysia (Reloaded) I

While searching for something else, I accidently (or providentially) landed on some old blog posts I did during my heydays as a ‘blogger’.  It’s illuminating to revisit some of the early conversations we had on these matters before the 12th General Elections on March 8th, 2008.

I see this quick interlude series as a useful background to our earlier reflections on attention to the ‘political’ for Malaysian theology. I decided to included the comments as well. Let’s start with the first post.

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Last Sunday, CAFE LATTE CHAT had an interesting conversation with Christian leaders and Politicans on how they viewed the involvement of Christians and the Church in the politics of Malaysia. A group of us were not invited, but we thought it might be a stimulating exercise in creative non-fiction to have some voices from the ground interacting with what was talked about … Of course, I do not have the editorial back-up of the Star Newspaper. And I do not have the skill, so what’s coming out from us will be pretty raw. I’m glad to bring together two active on the ground concerned Christians Steven Sim (a twentysomething in Penang), Bob Kee(a thirty something in Kuala Lumpur) and two pastors, Pastor Raj Singh (who’s church is a member of the NECF) and my self (who’s church is part of the Lutheran denomination which is a member of the council of churches Malaysia) for added virtual interaction. Of course, we cannot represent the bigger institutions we are part of but we are part of the wider church family. Just to be clear we’re adding to the conversation, all our parts will be in blue. So here goes … enjoy the ride …

ACCORDING to the Malaysian Census 2000, Christianity in Malaysia is practised by 10% of the population, the majority being in Sabah and Sarawak, where they make up 40% of the population in the two states.

In the urban areas of Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Penang, Ipoh and Johor Baru, the profile of a typical Christian is one who is middle-class, English-educated, professional, conscious of issues, articulate and critical. And they will certainly play a crucial role in the coming general election.

There is no single Christian group that can claim to represent all the Christians in Malaysia but the major denominations include the Roman Catholics, Methodists, Anglicans, Baptists, Lutherans, and independent charismatic churches.

Church groups like the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM), the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), the Catholic Bishops� Conference of Malaysia, and the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) are the constant voices that speak out on Christian issues in public.

In this session of Cafe Latte Chats, we bring together Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Subang Jaya assemblyman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng, Balakong assemblyman Datuk Hoh Hee Lee, secretary-general of the National Christian Fellowship (NECF) Malaysia Rev Wong Kim Kong, and Council of Churches Malaysia secretary-general Rev Dr Hermen Shastri to ponder on the issues that are of concern to the Christian community and how these will impact on the general election.

Christian voice: (From left) Datuk Hoh Hee Lee, Rev Dr Hermen Shastri, Datuk Lee Hwa Beng, Datuk Wong Chun Wai, Teresa Kok, and Rev Wong Kim Kong in serious discussion during the Cafe Latte Chat at Menara Star.

For those of us participating in blue, we are invisible (please don’t read too much into what I just wrote!)

Christian perspective on the elections

Chun Wai: The typical profile of a Christian in an urban area is likely to be middle-class, possibly English-educated and one who is very conscious of issues. Datuk Lee, Datuk Hoh and Teresa fit into this profile. We are beginning to hear of more churches organising activities and dialogues relating to the general election. What are the churches doing about the elections?

Steven Sim: If you ask me, the majority in the Church are concerned about certain situations in the Country such as economy, political stability and natural disasters, and yes, there are prayers for the political leaders and all, though usually this means those in the “government” , but we are still struggling to put politics in its place within the Christian religion.

There are also certain groups which, like Chun Wai mentioned, are organizing activities to interact with the issues of politics and general election but these are still far and between. More in fact could be done by the Christian community to promote awareness and take more active stance in this area.

Kim Kong: The general election is very important for all citizens, Christians included. The government is one of the institutions ordained by God for a very definite purpose to do good, to maintain law and order, as well as ensure what is right for the well-being of the nation.

Most churches will pray about the elections. Christians look for spiritual guidance as to what is God�s plan for the nation. It is inevitable for pastors to preach on issues relating to good governance like justice, righteousness, fairness and moral principles.

Bob Kee: How common is it actually to see churches pray specifically for the elections? Or for any other “temporal” needs in the first place? In my own experience having been with a few churches, it isn’t as common as one would think. Even rarer is to actually hear principles of good governance being preached from pulpits.

Steven: I agree with Bob to differ with Kim Kong, things like this are not very commonly preached in churches. I doubt most pastors are well informed enough to communicate this kind of message to the congregation.

Pastor Raj Singh: I agree with Steven that most pastors are not well informed enough about issues in order to communicate it to the church. Partly this is due to a lack of transparency in the reporting of these issues in the mainstream media. That is where the newsletters and press statements from CCM and NECF play a crucial role in informing Christians. I also would like to say that the general profile of Christians as mentioned by Chun Wai is a very narrow one and ignores the fact that there are a lot of Christians in non urban areas and are not middle class English educated.

Rev. Sivin Kit: I think it’s high time for churches, church leaders and pastors to discover a more proactive role when it comes to the elections and the democratic process in our country. This would mean tapping onto a variety of resources from more official voices like the Christian Federation Malaysia to Christians who are involved in politics but I think it also involves a listening ear to civil society groups and also other independent voices especially non-mainstream perspectives.

The Bible and the Ballot: Reflections on Christian Political Engagement in Malaysia Today

What a joy to know that before Christmas, a joint effort between a small band of us who are part of Friends in Conversation together with GraceWorks could produce this book.  This is our small contribution to the wider discussion on religion and politics in our homeland. Many thanks to those who endorsed our project.

 

How do we relate Christianity to political engagement in Malaysia today? This is the question that we, as part of the community of believers, are trying to answer in this book. It is our conviction that “if Jesus Christ is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all”. We proclaim the lordship of Jesus over every aspect of life. Therefore, it is important for us to reflect on the relationship between what we confess on Sunday and what is happening in the country every day.

This compilation of articles has been produced within the context of a circle of friends who share a common concern over national issues and the importance of Christian engagement on those issues. Although all of us are Malaysians, some of us are located in Malaysia, some in Singapore, and one in Norway. We come from different traditions and denominations of the Christian faith, but are connected through Friends In Conversation, a network where we discuss relevant issues that concern Christian discipleship in the contemporary world.

“The Bible speaks of Christians as salt and light, but not as voters. What is our theology of engagement with the political process? Does our heavenly citizenship mean the Christian Church should not be concerned about earthly elections? A group of Christian writers cajoles and challenges our thinking on this critical contemporary concern, with intriguing outcomes.”
Andrew Khoo, Member, Steering Committee, BERSIH 2.0

“Politics is often seen as ‘dirty.’ But Romans 13 talks about authority of Governments. Who holds them responsible and accountable? Citizens who vote make that decision. In the past, we had poor teaching about political involvement or engagement. This book teaches biblical views and opinions about the Christian and non-partisan politics. Recommended highly for all Christians!”
KJ John, PhD (Organization Theory), Executive Director, OHMSI.

“On the eve of the 13th Malaysian General Election, these essays are a timely reminder to all Malaysian Christians that we should never be apolitical, that we should feel comfortable in voicing our political affiliation, that we should be politically engaged through various channels, that we should not be blindly and unquestioningly partisan, that we should engage with the relevant stakeholders with wisdom and courage, with our hearts, minds and spirits firmly fixed and dependent on Christ.”
Dr. Ong Kian Ming, PhD, Duke University

“The Bible and the Ballot is a deeply reflective compilation of essays that represents the Zeitgeist of the Malaysian social conscience, real thoughts from real people who have struggled to clarify their positions on politics and society. Compelling reading as we — all of us, no exception — try to make sense of the country’s changing democratic landscape and the roles we play in it, consciously or not.
Tricia Yeoh, researcher and writer

Scribbling in the Sand: Notes on Malaysian Theology (2)

In my previous post, I was warming up to get back into the blogging groove only to fall sick and therefore delay the second installment.  Now, returning back the 1989 Roxborogh piece, I’ll use 3 Observations he offered to generate some reflections. Let’s start with no.1:

1. There is a local and particular form which is properly given to truths which are universal.

This is an ideal statement.  Christian truth is always in some culture or another and you can argue, at length, about the idea of universal truth. Nevertheless there is truth which is more than local which finds expression in different ways in different cultural and different historical contexts. An example is bible translation. The texts from which the translations are made are more or less fixed; the languages and cultural contexts into which they are translated are various.

One area I’m thinking is in line with paying attention to the political is how a particular religious community ‘translates’ their theological ideals in concrete particular circumstances.  In the case of Islam in Malaysia, in an interesting discussion on ‘Apostasy’, without neglecting some exegetical, historic and theological debates, even if ‘apostasy’ is clearly defined as ‘sin’, I would be interested in how exactly will the Muslim community envision the practical process involved in either attempting to ‘win’ back one whom is considered ‘lost’ or the uneasy question of punishment,  assuming misconceptions on ‘apostasy’ are clarified to some extant.

Christians might want to reflect on what does it mean to ‘leave the faith’ in the light of the discussion above.  What does it mean to be a Christian ‘Apostate’? Perhaps we cannot simply ignore this question by simply dismissing the word ‘apostate’ as dated? There’s much talk on a process of conversion for an individual or even communities. 

I wonder whether  we have thought about the ‘exit interview’ part. Now granted, in Malaysia, the discussion will not have the same social-cultural-political implications compared to a Muslim discussion on this question.  But then again, once upon a time a switch from Roman Catholicsm to being a Protestant wasn’t that easy. Is there something in how ‘Christianity’ has come to the current position which might be offered as reference for our Muslim friends?

So, the theologizing that’s going on will on one hand be directed within our own self-understanding of our respective religious communities, but it’s not detached from the ‘other-understanding’ of the respective religious communities of others. Context does that to us, unless we simply want to ignore everyone around us.

 

Scribbling in the Sand: Notes on Malaysian Theology (1)

The year is 2011, and it’s quickly coming to an end.  John Roxborogh contributed some notes on Malaysian Theology, Asian Theology and Malaysian History way back in 1989. A lot of what he has written then is still relevant today. I will merely scribble some thoughts based on John’s ‘outsider’ (yet with ‘insider’ sensitivity) promptings.

I’ll limit myself to enter into dialogue with the two tasks John highlights and suggestions for the agenda for Malaysian theology today. Again I must remind the reader, I’m scribbling here for ordinary folk not academics!

First, we start with the two tasks of doing theology in Malaysia:

Task One: What items should be on the theological agenda because of the historical experience of Malaysia?  ie How does the context affect the content?

As of 2011 and in the light of so much that we have experienced in Malaysia especially since the 8 March 2008 12th General Elections, we simply need to confront the political head on. There’s no escaping this. Chris has already thrown in his  Notes on doing political theology in Malaysia.  We’re basically all on the same page.

This means we cannot shy away from reflecting theologically what kind of government is needed in our nation.  Caution here, I am not talking about a ‘Christian’ government, I’m simply talking about what kind of ‘government’ we Christians as citizens of Malaysia can support warts and all. Sure, there won’t be perfection, but it’s best we keep some ideals loud and clear.  Aim high . . . as much as possible?

Two issues come to mind.  One is ‘good governance’ (not ‘perfect’ governance).  Based on a simple quick comparison between some of the states currently governed by different coalitions right now we only have BN and PR, how are the states governed? Even in their imperfections, how are conflicts resolved?  How are citizens involved in the process? Where do the ‘civil servants’ fit in the equation? 

What is ‘good governance’? Well, here’s one decription by the UNESCAP with 8 characteristics:

It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society.

A nice diagram to add icing to the cake we call want to eat.

These might be a little abstract at first sight.  Perhaps, I can try to contextualize it in the form of some questions: