Bishop's Page

                                                Pray For Malaysia

In the midst of extreme personal circumstances, John Henry Newman, penned the words of the hymn, 'Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead thou me on!' Over the past few months, there have been times I have felt like that whenever I turn to the newspapers and read about Malaysia. There have been many things that are seriously troubling to the ordinary citizen who just wants to live a fulfilling and peaceful life.

The latest of course is the outburst by the previous PM, Tun Dr. Mahathir, against the present PM, Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi, or Pak Lah as he is affectionately known. The former has publicly criticized the present PM, accusing him of reversing some earlier policies. As I write, the front page of today's The Star (10 June 2006) reports that Dr. Mahathir is demanding answers on four issues: 'the Government's decision to scrap the Johor bridge, the sale of MV Agusta, the issuance of Approved Permits (AP) for car imports, and why Proton Holding Bhd chief executive officer Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff's contract was not renewed.'

Pak Lah, in his usual polite way, has refused so far to be drawn into the fray. But another senior statesman, Tun Musa Hitam, also in today's The Star, in rebuttal asserts that 'Dr Mahathir's open criticism of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi recently is not only improper, but also does not augur well for the party and the nation.' He goes on to say more pointedly that, 'If I were the prime minister, I can tell you I would not be as polite as Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Enough is enough. Don't say you don't want to interfere and the next moment keep making statements to the contrary.'

Such attacks by senior leaders of the leading party in the country's ruling coalition against each other clearly do not augur well for the country. It tends to lead to instability within the country and a loss of confidence by foreign governments and investors. Serious social, economic and political consequences often results.

If this is an isolated matter, it would not be so worrying. But it has come as one more destabilizing factor, on top of a whole string of others in recent months. Among these was the release of the report by the Royal Commission on the Malaysian Police concerning charges of abuse of power, etc. This came out with a series of recommendations, including a proposal for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to supervise the work of the Police force. But that brought about a strong reaction by certain elements within the Police, which in turn led to further fireworks. As if that was not enough, there was the recent disclosure that anonymous letters had been sent accusing some judges of being corrupt. This is now being investigated by the ACA.

Another major storm has been brewing over religious freedom in this nation. This of course is not a new issue. But the matter was blown wide open by the M. Moorthy's case in late December last year, where many non-Muslims have felt aggrieved at the way that some civil courts are handling religious matters. Related to that is the Lina Joy's case against the National Registration Department which has refused to allow her to change her religious affiliation. This time, many Muslims are feeling threatened because they fear that if Lina Joy's appeal is allowed, it may weaken the solidarity of their community. And the latest is the concern expressed by Hindu Rights Action Force complaining about the forced demolition of many Hindu temples, especially within Kuala Lumpur.

Many are wondering whether the Malaysian Constitution is still supreme in our country. The disruption, by people associated with BADAI, of the recent forum in Penang on the Constitution by the Article 11 Group, the subsequent emails that followed, and the police report lodged against them are all public knowledge.

Then of course there are always the underlying racial tensions that cloud many of the issues in Malaysian public life. The reaction to Loh Seng Kok's remarks in Parliament a few months ago shows just how very alive and explosive these tensions remain. And there are other issues as well which are not even mentioned in public, except in websites like that of Malaysiakini and Malaysia-Today.net. All these add up to a highly charged and volatile situation in the country.

It is not my purpose to do a political analysis or commentary here. There is no space for this, and also others have done this much better. But like many Malaysian citizens, I am genuinely concerned about the well-being of the nation as well as our children's future. Some of us in politics, the media and some other public places are in positions to do something about all that is happening. And certainly we should. After all we are called to be the 'salt of the earth' and the 'light of the world' (Mat 5:13&14). If this is our calling, it would be most irresponsible of us as Christians, should we remain passive when something can be done for the well-being and peace of our nation.

But there is one thing all of us can do. Paul writing to Timothy urged 'that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness' (1 Tim 2:1&2). Irrespective of our political sympathies and inclinations, and whatever may be our positions on the issues listed above, we can all agree on the need and importance of praying for our nation. May I therefore suggest that we do the following, both as individuals and as churches, or in our prayer groups.

1. Let's make it a matter of practice to pray for the government of the day, that they will be given much wisdom and grace by God to rule with justice and righteousness. Pray that their decisions and actions will bring stability and well-being to the country and respect for the government.
2. Pray for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet that they may have the courage and strength to act with decisiveness and firmness against unruly and disruptive elements and individuals in our society. Pray that the respect for proper law and order, harmony and peace will prevail.
3. Pray for the leaders of the government and the judiciary that they will have the wisdom and courage to sort out the constitutional issues over religious freedom in this country. In particular, there are some issues that are pending in the law courts and need quick resolution, so that they will not be used by evil and extremist elements and the powers of darkness to tear apart the delicate social fabric of this nation.
4. As Christians who believe that God is sovereign over all creation and human history, we must dare to believe that He is able to vanquish all the works of Satan and his demons, and all other forces of evil that are at work in our society. Let us therefore pray that God will overrule all those forces that seek to destroy social well-being and life, to take away our God-given freedoms of conscience of beliefs and actions, and to undermine righteousness and justice in our country through corruption, racism, and oppressions of all kinds. As Paul reminds us, 'For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against …the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm' (Eph 6:12).
5. Over the next few months, with all these destabilizing factors at work around us, I would like to urge you as an individual to take at least 10-15 minutes a day to pray specifically for the nation. Furthermore, can we take these needs of the country as major prayer items in all our churches on Sundays, as well as in our prayer meetings, on a regular basis?

Another hymn writer, meditating upon God's great act of deliverance in the Exodus from Egypt to Canaan, wrote prayerfully, but with firm confidence:

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty; Hold me with thy powerful hand;
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more,
Feed me till I want no more …

When I tread the verge of Jordan, Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell's destruction, Land me safe on Canaan's side;
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to thee, I will ever give to thee.

I believe it is this same God who continues to lead us today. Let us, therefore, together ask the Lord for a mighty breakthrough in prayer that will release a powerful tsunami of truth, righteousness and godliness upon our nation, for the well-being of all Malaysians and for God's glory! The peace of the Lord be with you!