SUPP wants Hadi Awang barred from Sarawak

MIRI: The Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) wants the state government to blacklist PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang from entering Sarawak for his malicious remarks against Christians and East Malaysia as published in Harakah Daily.

SUPP secretary general Datuk Sebastian Ting (pic) Friday said the insulting remarks by Hadi Awang against Sarawak and Christians, was done with ill intentions to create disharmony.

Hadi had claimed that Christian missionaries used money to convert people in Sarawak and Sabah to Christianity.

"Hadi also claimed that we in East Malaysia were being offered charity projects as baits to become Christians. SUPP questions his sinister motives in making such false accusations against us," said Ting.

Ting said the allegations by Hadi Awang was insulting.

"We do not become Christians because of money. Christians love their religion out of love for God and because they believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ who is our Saviour.

He added that the pioneer Christian missionaries came to this state with the intention of spreading the teachings of the Bible and helping to bring progress to the poor.

"Most missionaries groups are poor and they had no monetary resources. They came from Europe equipped with only their Bibles in their hands and with plenty of love in their heart.

"They managed to set up churches and mission schools here because the native communities gave native customary rights (NCR) land to build these churches," said Ting at a press conference after meeting with party grassroots here.

Ting said the Sarawak state government also gave these Christian groups state land to build churches and mission schools.

"Our chief ministers including present TYT Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud and present CM Tan Sri Adenan Satem, are supportive of the Christian missionaries.

"They have even given financial support annually to the churches and mission schools. The state government also gave land to build churches and mission schools and have been fair to Christians and people of all religions.

"In fact many of our state leaders had their early education in mission schools. That explains why our leaders in Sarawak are moderate and fair towards people of every race and religions because they were taught to treat all fairly and justly by the missionaries," he added.

"SUPP leaders respect and praise the Christian missionaries for their role in pioneering education in this state and also for their pivotal efforts in promoting a sense of justice and harmony of which we in Sarawak is a model state.

"SUPP feels that Hadi Awang has malicious and ill-intentions against Christians and against the people of Sarawak and Sabah. Hadi is thus a threat to the harmony and peace of the people of Sarawak.

"He should not be allowed to enter this state unless and until he publicly retracts his allegations against Christians.

"We in SUPP propose that the Sarawak state government invoke the autonomous immigration authority and blacklist Hadi from entering Sarawak with immediate effect," said Ting.

Sarawak and Sabah have autonomous control over immigration laws.