The Catholic Lawyers’ Society Kuala Lumpur (CLS) is issuing this statement to record its grave concern at the uploading of a video on the “Hud-Hud Crew” Facebook page entitled “Rahsia Besar : Rakaman Perancangan 25 Tahun Archbishop Katolik Kuala Lumpur Untuk “Rebus Orang Islam Seperti Merebus Katak” and the inflammatory comments related thereto on the same Facebook page.

All peace-loving members of the Malaysian public should be outraged at the uploading of the video in question which contains only an extract of the speech of His Grace Archbishop Julian Leow. The message of His Grace’s speech in 2014 has been taken totally out of context, misused and purposely misunderstood for nefarious reasons with the intention of threatening the religious harmony and peaceful coexistence enjoyed by the various peoples of different faiths in Malaysia.

The CLS abhors hatred and violence that is directed against any person on the basis of race or religion. The CLS recognises the inherent dignity of every human being whose rights must be protected regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. The CLS wishes for all parties to be engaged in and to promote inter-religious cooperation to address any issue that could give rise to a potential conflict in our multi-religious country.

In order to protect the sanctity of the Catholic Church in Malaysia and for the personal protection of His Grace Archbishop Julian Leow, the CLS calls upon the relevant authorities to investigate the video in question, the owner of the Facebook page and the makers of the incendiary, inflammatory and derogatory statements on the Facebook page in question for sedition, criminal intimidation and criminal defamation.

At a time when our government is grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic and is committed in its efforts in reviving our economy, the last thing that our country needs is any incident that could potentially threaten the very fabric of the harmonious coexistence which Malaysians of all races and religions desire and currently enjoy.

God bless our country, Malaysia.

Godfrey Thomas Fernandez

President
Catholic Lawyers’ Society, Kuala Lumpur