ACS calls for freedom of religion to be restored in accordance with MA63, Constitution

KUCHING: Complete freedom of religion in Sarawak and Malaysia must be honoured and restored in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and Federal Constitution, says the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS).

It expressed concern that racism and religious bigotry was now tainting national life and had begun to threaten the Sarawak way of life, where all races and religions lived in peace and harmony.

"Over the years, there has been serious erosion of religious freedom as guaranteed in Article 3(1), Article 8, Article 11 and Article 12 of the Federal Constitution.

"This has occurred in the course of a worrying departure from the fundamental non-religious secular basis of the new Malaysian federation formed by Sarawak together with Sabah and the states of Malaya in 1963," ACS said in a statement Wednesday (March 27).

It said Sarawak must "make every effort" to maintain the essence of a secular state which assures religious freedom and to regain the Sarawak way of life of mutual respect among all faith communities.

This would make the restoration of Sarawak's rights by the federal government through the MA63 steering committee meaningful, it said.

ACS also welcomed the move to amend the Federal Constitution to reinstate Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with peninsular Malaysia, adding that efforts must be made to honour the intentions of the formation of Malaysia.

"Sarawak should be restored its rights with regard to important matters like revenue, education and mineral resources.

"These rights will however only be meaningfully enjoyed by Sarawakians if we can continue to live, strive and thrive as people living out the Sarawak way of life where all races and religions co-exist in peace and harmony, mutually respecting and celebrating each other’s beliefs and practices.

"The ACS calls on the Sarawak government and our Sarawak representatives appointed to the steering committee to ensure that this fundamental pillar of nationhood and nation building be given the fullest attention that it deserves," it said.