PRIM, properly attired Caucasian young men with winning smiles asking passer-bys if they’ve “heard the good news”.
Many Malaysians will be familiar with the sight of Westerners brandishing pamphlets containing Christian or Mormon religious messages.
But apparently not Rosmi Khairul Erol who queried what was their business on the Komuniti Bandar Seri Alam Facebook forum, appending images of a Mat Saleh on a bike making the rounds within the housing area.
Editor’s Note: Bandar Seri Alam is a major township located in Masai within the Johor Bahru District. It sits about 15km (or a 15-minute drive) east of the Johor Bahru City Centre and falls under the administration of Majlis Bandaraya Pasir Gudang.
Explaining that the pictures were taken by his wife but was too afraid to ask herself, the poster sought clarification on what must have seemed an odd sight to him and his spouse.
It was highlighted that these Caucasians preachers were spreading the Christian gospel but their efforts were limited to non-Muslims only.
Quite a few other commenters also reported sightings of these missionary men in various parts of Johor.
One commenter noted that these Westerners were fluent in a number of languages, including Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese, reflecting that these preachers were effective communicators. But it was again stressed that they only preached to non-Muslims.
However, it was rightly pointed out that these imported preachers were here in Malaysia on tourist visas but were effectively “working”.
There seemed to be a perception that Mormons are a “deviant sect” and should be reported for spreading “strange foreign teachings”.
One alarmed commenter even labelled these Caucasian preachers as mysterious Masonic agents.
Editor’s Note: The teachings and presence of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon Church) are legal for non-Muslims in Malaysia.
The church has been officially recognised by the Malaysian government since October 1977 and operates multiple congregations nationwide.
It did seem some netizens were just itching for an excuse to report these Western bible-bashers but it was quite rightly pointed out that they are not breaking any laws nor were they forcing their teachings on anybody.
Few things to note about this. Firstly, the sight of these short-sleeved, black-tied clean cut young men extending their hand to strangers in Malaysia is nothing new.
It may seem strange to some but ultimately, one will get used to it. One Mat Saleh on a bicycle is the same as the next one.
Secondly, as long as they do NOT cross the line and attempt to proselytise to Muslims, their presence is tolerated, whether Christian or Mormon.
Last but not least, these good news spreaders are NOT forcing any one to follow them or to succumb to their teachings.
They have NOT broken any laws. So perhaps one commenter’s creed of ‘live and let live’ and to NOT cause difficulties to one one’s own existence was the best advice of them all. – Aug 9,2026
