Archbishop Murphy Pakiam has called on everyone to pray for a resolution in the situation in Gaza.
 In a statement released on Jan 9, the archbishop has asked his priests to organise prayer vigils in the parishes rather "than vociferous demonstrations that only serve to enrage people".
 "The God in whom we all believe, is a God of Peace and he grants it to those who observe His laws of love and respect for one another as brothers and sisters."

Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur
(USKUP AGUNG KUALA LUMPUR) 528, Jalan Bukit Nanas,
50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: 603-20788828 / 20 785089 Fax: 603-20313815

CALL FOR PRAYER OVER THE GAZA SITUATION

We are heartened by the Prime Minister's call for prayers to be held in all mosques for peace in Palestine (NST Jan 9, 2009) and we call upon all other Religious-minded People to pray for peace in Palestine.
 We pray that God will soften the hearts of the leaders to avoid the sledgehammer tactics of Israel or the acts of Hamas which only further the sufferings of innocent people in Palestine. We hope that prayer vigils can be organized rather than vociferous demonstrations that only serve to enrage people. We have asked our priests to organize prayer vigils in our parishes.
 The God in whom we all believe, is a God of Peace and he grants it to those who observe His laws of love and respect for one another as brothers and sisters.

            +  
Most Reverend Tan Sri Datuk Murphy Pakiam
Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur

The Government has withdrawn a ban on a Catholic newspaper's Malay-language edition imposed in a row over the use of the word "Allah", an official said Jan 8.The decision was made after the HERALD threatened to sue the government, the Home Ministry's publications control unit secretary Che Din Yusof told AFP. "We received their letter. We have reviewed the decision and we will now allow them to print the Malay version provided that they don't use the word `Allah' until it is decided in court," he said. "They can publish as long as they don't use the word "Allah," just use the word `God'."

Six youth from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur were given a golden opportunity to attend a four-day three-night Exposure Immersion Programme organised by the Archdiocese Office for Human Development.Though the numbers were few, as many pulled out prior to the event, it did not dampen our spirit. The six of us embarked on a remarkable journey along with Peter Rayappan to experience the live of the indigenous people, the people living with HIV and the plantation workers. On the first day, we were introduced to Uncle Thomas from the Church of St Jude, Rawang, who brought us to an Orang Asli Kampung in Serendah, a Temuan tribe. A community centre was built within the village to cater to the needs of the Orang Asli students. It is equipped with computers and sewing machine, but ironically, there is no electricity! They are still waiting for the approval from the government.

Cris Kroz, a six member Catholic group won first prize at the Christmas Battle of the Bands. Organised by the Ministry of Tourism to coincide with the year-end sales, more than 20 groups took part in the competition. Hosted by Central Market, ten bands fought it out in the final on Dec 20. The panel of judges - composed of singer Francissca Peter, John Anthony, Gregory Williams and Lawrence Paul - decided that Cris Kroz bested nine other finalists to win the first ever Xmas Battle of the Bands 2008. "Many did come to tell us that we had a great chance of winning the competition, but did not want to put more pressure on ourselves," shared Aloysius John, the bassist. "We were tossing out a few names and quite a few members thought of Cross and so we decided on Christ's Cross aka Cris Kroz." The prize money of RM10.000 was shared among the six members.

KEMENTERIAN DALAM NEGERI
BAHAGIAN KAWALAN PENERBITAN & TEKS AL-QURAN
ARAS 6, BLOK DI, KOMPLEKS D
PUSAT PENTADBlRAN KERAJAAN PERSEKUTUAN
62546 PUTRAJAYA
                                                    Telefon : 03-88868000
                                                    Fax :03-88891682
Rujukan Kami: KDN.PQ/PP 1505 (8460)(109)
Tarikh : 07 Januari 2009

Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur
528 Jalan Bukit Nanas
50250 Kuala Lumpur
(U.P. Tan Sri Datuk Murphy Pakiam)

Tuan,
KELULUSAN PERMOHOMAN PERMIT PENERBITAN
" HERALD - THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY"

Dengan segala hormatnya saya merujuk kepada perkara di atas, surat kami bertarikh 30 Disember 2008 dan surat tuan bertarikh 2 Januari 2009 adalah berkaitan.

2.  Untuk makluman pihak man, Bahagian ini telah membuat pertimbangan  semula ke atas kelulusan pernohonan permit penerbitan bagi penerbitan  dengan tajuk di atas dan keputusannya adalah seperti berikut. Perrmohonan penerbitan dalam bahasa Melayu adalah dibenarkan, namun  demikian, penggunaan kalimah "ALLAH" adalah dilarang sehingga mahkamah membuat keputusan mengenai perkara tersebut.
Di halaman hadapan penerbitan ini, tertera perkataan "TERHAD" yang  membawa maksud penerbitan ini adalah terhad untuk edaran di gereja  dan kepada penganut Kristian sahaja.

3.  Sehubungan ini, kelulusan dengan bersyarat yang telah dikenakan ke atas    penerbitan ini pada 30 Disember 2008 (Ruj. Kami: KDN:PQ/PP  1505(8460)(101) adalah dengan sendirinya terbatal.

 Sekian, terima kasih.

 "BERKH(DMAT UNTUK NEGARA"
 Saya yang menurut perintah,

(CHE DIN BIN YUSOH) b.p. Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri

  s.k.: 1. Y.B Menteri Dalam Negeri
         2. TKSUOO

Some 300 migrants, mainly Filipinos met at the old parish hall of the Cathedral of St John (SJC) for a double celebration last month. They celebrated Christmas and to commemorate the second anniversary of CAPE (Capability Enhancement Programme), a programme consisting of various skill courses specifically targetting the migrant communities worshipping at SJC. The event was organized by SJC Filipino Ministry and was graced by both SJC priests, Msgr James Gnanapiragasam and Fr A. Amalanathan. His Excellency Victoriano M. Lecaros, the Philippines Ambassador to Malaysia, was also present.
Everyone enjoyed the day long celebrations as a variety of presentations: dances, songs, musical play, video presentation on past activities held, fun games, exchange of gifts, raffle draws and speeches. The food for lunch, was specially prepared and cooked by the Filipinos. Msgr James expressed his appreciation with the Filipinos, who he said demonstrated joy and excitement in their dance and song presentations and whenever they organized an event.

Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur
(USKUP AGUNG KUALA LUMPUR)
528; Jalan Bukit Nanas
50250 Kuala Lumpur; Malaysia
Tel: 603-20788828/20785089 Fax: 603-203138l5

9 January 2009

PRESS RELEASE CALL FOR PRAYER OVER THE GAZA SITUATION

We are heartened by the Prime Minister's call for prayers to be held in all mosques for peace in Palestine (NST. 9 Jan. 2009) and we call upon all other Religious-minded People to pray for peace in Palestine.

We pray that God will soften the hearts of the leaders to avoid the sledgehammer tactics of Israel or the provocative acts of Hamas which only further the sufferings of innocent people in Palestine.

We hope that prayer vigils can be organised rather than vociferous demonstrations that only serve to enrage people. We have asked our priests to organise prayer vigils in our parishes.

The God in whom we all believe in, is a God of Peace and he grants it to those who observe His laws of love and respect for one another as brothers and sisters.

Most Reverend Tan Sri Datuk Murphy Pakiam
Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur

ARCHBISHOP  of Kuala Lumpur
(USKUP AGUNG KUALA LUMPUR)
528, JALAN BUKIT NANAS,
50250 KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
                               

Tel: 603-20788828/20785089 Fax: 603-20313815

Our Ref: KLA/TRCA-KKDN/034/07
Your Ref: KKDNPQ: 1505(8460)-(84)

2hb. Janauri 2009

Kementerian Keselamatan Dalam Negeri
Bahagian Kawalan Penerbitan & Teks Al-Quran
Aras 6, Block D1, Parcel D,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan,
62546 PUTRAJAYA                                   SERAHAN TANGAN

U/P: En.Abdul Razak B.Abdul Latiff

Tuan,

KELULUSAN PERMOHONAN PERMIT PENERBITAN –
HERALD-THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY

Reference is made to your letter dated 30.12.2008 approving our application for a Publication Permit for HERALD - The Catholic Weekly in four languages: "Malaysia/Inggeris/Tamil/Cina," but subject to the conditions mentioned therein.

We are totally perplexed in respect of the condition that the publication in Bahasa Malaysia is prohibited pending the decisions of the Court concerning the use of the word "Allah" We are unable to see how these two matters are related. Even if Courts dismiss our application for judicial review in respect of the use of the word "Allah" in the HERALD, that has no bearing on the publication in Bahasa Malaysia.

We are therefore advised and verily believe that this condition constitutes a serious violation of our constitutional freedom of expression and speech. It also prohibits and/or diminishes the rights of the citizens of this country to express themselves and communicate in the national language in clear contravention of the spirit and intent of the National Language Act 1967. Further connecting the matter of the publication Bahasa Malaysia with the determination of the pending judicial review proceedings is not only grossly unreasonable, irrational and illegal but also reeks of ill will and bad faith in that this condition serves as a form of retribution or punishment account of our filing of the pending judicial review proceedings in the High Court.
The High Court has already granted us leave to pursue issue of whether we are entitled to use the word "Allah" in HERALD especially in the Bahasa Malaysia segment. Therefore, we ought to be allowed to use the word "Allah' the Bahasa Malaysia segment until the High Court decides otherwise.
In respect of the other conditions we wish to state that the HERALD has always been made available only in Catholic churches. Further, the masthead "Herald - The Catholic Weekly" is self explanatory and serves as sufficient notice to the world at large that it is a magazine (a weekly newspaper) only for the Catholic community in Malaysia. There is, therefore, no need to state that "Bacaan ini hanya untuk penganut igama Kristian sahaja" as the HERALD is not made available elsewhere but only to those who come to worship in the Catholic churches.

We therefore seek that you reconsider your decision and evoke the conditions cited in your letter under reference.

Kindly respond within seven (7) days of your receipt of this letter. In the event we fail to hear from you, we shall be constrained to seek legal redress in the courts.

Yours respectfully,
Most.Reverend Tan Sri Datuk Murphy Pakiam, D.D., PSM, PJN
Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur
Publisher of The HERALD

KEMENTERIAN DALAM NEGERI
BAHAGIAN KAWALAN PERNERBITAN & TEKS AL-QURAN ARAS 6,
BLOK  DI, PARCEL D.
PUSAT PENTADBIRAN KERAJAAN PERSEKUTUAN,    62546 PUTRAJAYA                                               

Telefon:03-88868000
 Fax:03-88891682

 Ruj. Kami: KDN:PQ/PP 1505(8460)(101)
 Tarikh:      30 Disember 2008

ARCHBISHOP MURPHY PAKIAM
TITULAR ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF KUALA LUMPUR
HERALD, 5, JALAN ROBERTSON
50150 KUALA LUMPUR

Tuan,

KELULUSAN PERMOHONAN PERMIT PENERBITAN

Tajuk:  HERALD - THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY
Jenis:  MAJALAH
Corak: AGAMA/EHWAI, SEMASA/ISU ANTARABANGSA
Bahasa MALAYSIA/INGGERIS/TAMiL/ CINA MINGGUAN
Kekerapan: MINGGUAN
Bayaran:  RM800.00

Dengan segala hormatnya saya di arah merujuk kepada perkara di atas,

2. Sukacita dimaklumkan permohonan tuan telah diluluskan dengan bersyarat seperti butiran di bawah;
i) Penerbitan dalam Bahasa Melayu tidak dibenarkan sehingga keputusan mahkamah berkaitan kes penggunaan kalimah "ALLAH" diputuskan. ii) Penerbitan ini hendaklah dijual di gereja sahaja. iii) Di muka surat depan majalah mestilah memaparkan "Bacaan ini hanya untuk penganut agama Kristian sahaja".

3.  Sila kemukakan bayaran dalam Bank Draft/Money Order atas nama  penerima KETUA SETIAUSAHA KEMENTERIAN DALAM NEGERI dan  berpalang. Sila sertakan sampul surat berukuran 16cm x 23cm yang  beralamat sendiri serta setem 50 sen bagi pengiriman resit dan sijil permit  penerbitan tersebut

4.  Bayaran hendaklah dibuat dalam tempoh satu (1) bulan dari tarikh surat  ini atau sebelum tamat tempoh permit. Sekiranya bayaran tidak diterima  selepas tamat Cempoh tersebut, kelulusan ini terbatal dengan sendirinya.
 
Sekian. Terima kasih

Saya yang menurut perintah,

(ABDUL  RAZAK B. ABDUL LATIF B.P.Ketua SetiausahaKementerian Dalam Negeri

On Dec 11, 2008, a talk on inter-religious dialogue was hosted by St Paul's Church (Anglican). The speaker at this talk was Dr Robert Hunt of the Perkins School of Theology at the Southern Methodist University in America. Dr Robert Hunt, Director of Global Theological Education at the Perkins School of Theology, earned his PhD at the University of Malaya in 1994 and is married to a Malaysian wife. His field of expertise covers world religions, inter-religious dialogue and Islam. At this most beneficial talk, Hunt discussed a number of crucial issues pertaining to inter-religious dialogue confronting the religious communities of the world today. One of the main cases in point elaborated by Hunt was that of "A Common Word", a Muslim initiative of 138 Muslim scholars, clerics and intellectuals in 2007 affirming that there was common ground between Christianity and Islam which would allegedly pave the way for further dialogue between the two religions. Five representatives from the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocesan Ministry of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (AMEIA) were in attendance at this talk.

The members of the Catholic Prison Ministry held their Christmas party at the Welcome Community Home which provides residential hospice service for 37 men afflicted with HIV/AIDS. The celebration began with Mass celebrated b- Fr Ed,vard Soosay. The 200 plus congregation included refugee women, mostly Myanmarese afflicted with HIV/AIDS from Rumah Ozanam, refugees from PERCH Home as well as friends and well wishers. After a sumptuous lunch, everyone adjourned to the hall. Songs, dances and short sketches were presented, almost exclusively, by the residents including children of the three Homes. Fr Edward Soosay is also the Chaplain to Catholics of Welfare Community Home, as well as the half a dozen Homes managed by Catholic organizations. St Michael's Chapel is the meeting point for the residents of Homes dotting Batu Arang. Fr Soosay holds the view that prejudice against HIV/AIDS sufferers is the greatest obstacle to their integration into the community. The Christmas Party was an instance where people had an opportunity to be better informed.

The Home Ministry has denied HERALD Permission to print the Bahasa Malaysia segment in its pages until the case on the use of the word "ALLAH" is resolved by the High Court. This was conveyed by a letter faxed to the office of HERALD on the eve of the expiry of the 2008 permit and that too after 6.OOpm on Dec 30, 2008.

HERALD is the only Catholic weekly in Malaysia which carries Catholic news to the nations near 900,000 Catholics. Some 600,000 Catholics are bumiputera from Sabah and Sarawak. Today travel is made easy and a good number of them have migrated to West Malaysia for various reasons. They communicate mainly in Bahasa Malaysia - the National Language.

And how will they know what is happening in the Church or even know more about the teachings of the Church on current affairs if they are not able to pick up the information in the language they know - Bahasa Malaysia?

The restriction put in the way of faith development of the Catholics by barring the use of the Bahasa Malaysia in the Catholic Church's Weekly is a violation of the citizens right and is unconstitutional. 

The Publisher of the weekly, Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, on behalf of the Bishops of Malaysia notified the Home Ministry, through a letter on Jan 2, 2009, that the restriction is in "clear contravention of the spirit and intent of the National Language Act 1967."

He also said that in connecting the judicial review of the prohibition of the use of the word "Allah" which is being heard in the High Court with the National Language in the HERALD is "grossly unreasonable, irrational and illegal."

Therefore, he asks the Ministry to reconsider their decision and revoke the conditions cited in their letter of Dec 30, 2008.

He warned that the Church "shall be constrained to seek legal redress in the courts" in the absence of any response.

The Malaysian Insider, a news portal, reported that the church took the ministry to court last April challenging the government order that it cannot use the word "Allah" to mean God outside the religion of Islam.

The case is ongoing. At the time of going to the press, we have not had any response from the Ministry with regards to the letter we sent asking the Ministry to withdraw its restriction. Thus we may not have a Bahasa Malaysia section in this issue.