THE animosity between Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and Bersatu leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin a.k.a. Chegubard over the “Jom Ziarah Gereja” issue has deepened with the latter demanding the scrapping of the entire Impact Malaysia-related programme which is funded by government money or the former must resign.
The political activist who is also Bersatu’s operation director in-charge of elections further berated that while the Segambut MP is free to be a Christian, it was wrong for her to use her ministerial position to promote Christianity among non-Christians.
“We have no problem if Hannah Yeoh wants to embrace Christianity. But it’s wrong for you to use the government budget, use the minister’s position to promote Christianity among non-Christians,” he justified.
“I promise that we will tour the whole country to meet all levels of society – Muslim and non-Muslims alike – that Hannah Yeoh is the enemy of harmony in our society,” Badrul Hisham told a media conference before recording his statement about the “Let’s Visit Church” programme at the Sentul District Police headquarters (IPD) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (March 20).
In a media statement posted on his Facebook, Badrul Hisham claimed that it can be verified that Impact Malaysia which is a non-profit body under the Youth and Sports Ministry has recruited non-Christian youth including Muslims “to be introduced to Christianity in the church”.
“The organiser is an agency under the Youth and Sports Ministry that receives a budget of RM5 mil per year through the government budget,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Yeoh has also turned up at the Sentul IPD yesterday evening (March 20), accompanied by her lawyers Harshaan Zamani and Sangeet Kaur Deo, to record her statement that will facilitate police probe into the “Jom Ziarah Gereja” programme.
“I am ready to cooperate fully. I don’t want to waste any time. My statement (to the police) will be consistent with the things I said in Parliament,” noted the DAP lawmaker, adding she had also answered Badrul Hisham’s accusations.
On Sunday (March 19), Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim said police have opened an investigation paper over the programme. Although the programme has since been cancelled, Comm Azmi said the investigation should be conducted as police reports were lodged.
On March 14, Yeoh told the Dewan Rakyat that the programme did not involve Muslims. – March 21, 2023
