IT’S nothing new. Groups of prim and proper looking “Mat Salleh” youths approaching strangers at LRT stations or even going door-to-door of homes asking if they had time to receive some “good news”.
This has been going on for decades. But their approaches are usually presaged with the all-important question “are you Muslim?” so as to not break any local laws on proselytising.
Lest it be forgotten, while Article 11 of the Federal Constitution allows for freedom of religion, it places restrictions on proselytising to Muslims.
Henceforth, it is little wonder that the revelation in Harian Metro and various Malay language media regarding “Christian” evangelists handing out leaflets in front of a supermarket in Desa Setapak, Kuala Lumpur has sparked a flurry of comments on social media.
Wangsa Maju police chief Lazim Ismail confirmed that a police report was filed on Dec 30 after the incident captured in a video clip went viral.
“The case is being investigated under Section 298A of the Penal Code for causing disharmony on religious grounds,” he pointed out in a recent statement.
#KualaLumpur Polis sedang mengesan tiga individu susulan tular video mereka cuba menyebarkan agama Kristian di hadapan sebuah pasar raya di Desa Setapak. https://t.co/POoZiHTgrq
— Harian Metro (@hmetromy) January 2, 2025
Polis dah buka kertas siasatan dan sedang cari 3 orang ni.
Syabas PDRM.Bukan macam PAS wayang balun Hannah Yeoh pasal buku tahun 2014. Tak ke kelakar. Benda dah 10 tahun baru nak acah kalut. Ini sume nak tutup cerita Mastura dengan Hadi sambut Krismas kat Ireland‼️ 😂 pic.twitter.com/3tu2qDhP6R
— JOKER 🔺 (@tjerealjoker) January 2, 2025
Following the incident, the point about freedom to practice one’s religion did not extend to proselytising was reiterated with some netizens suggesting those found guilty should face the full brunt of the law with whipping as a deterrent.
However, one netizen who seemed oblivious to prohibition in the open preaching of other religions to Muslims in Malaysia asked “since when was there a monopoly on religion” in the country.
It was pointed out that it is very likely that the trio were Mormons which is defined by Oxford Languages as “a follower of a millenarian Christian movement founded in the US in 1830 by Joseph Smith Jr, in particular a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”.
Some commenters went on to explain that “Mormons aren’t Christians” and that even “the Christians avoided them”.
Or perhaps they were Jehovah Witnesses which is defined by the Encyclopædia Britannica as “a member of a Christian-based new religious movement that developed within the larger 19th-century Adventist movement in the US and has since spread worldwide.
One netizen went on to equate them as “a deviant group” while another claimed that “those who don school uniform are Jehovah Witnesses”.
Whichever splinter group this trio represent, a netizen warned against letting their “Christian-Zionism” message spread.
A few commenters confirmed that such evangelists who are even fluent in the Malay language would always ask if a person they approach is a Muslim before continuing or where are the homes of non-Muslims.
With one contending that in Sabah, such missionaries would limit their activity to Christian households, usually in the rural areas.
Another reckoned that the presence of such evangelists was nothing new and they were always careful not to approach Muslims.
It would appear that the trio in this case were not careful in observing the legal restrictions while distributing their leaflets although one netizen mocked the weak faith of those Muslims who could be swayed by just a few pamphlets.
As it is, religious harmony can easily be under threat especially with interested parties seeking to exploit and inflame such issues to suit their agendas.
kalau korang nampak omputih pakai tie & kemeja putih, seluar hitam, pakai beg tengah jalan2,
kena ingat, ni mormon, geng missionaris yang sebar kristian
diorg bukan pelajar sekolah tau, skrg ni kat KL ada dah nampak omputih jalan2 pakai camni, pic.twitter.com/mvuXEGMn52
— MALAYSIA MOST VIRAL (@MALAYSIAVIRALLL) January 3, 2025
It is a known fact that one cannot proselytise to Muslims. Sadly, these “Mat Salleh” evangelists have not just brought a whole heap of trouble for themselves but has also caused all sorts of discomfort for a multi-cultural society trying to find an equilibrium to live harmoniously. – Jan 5, 2025
