Clandestine efforts to convert Christian Dayak students to Islam

By Simon Peter

KUCHING, May 14, 2014: Angry parents met with Land Development Minister James Masing at his office this morning, complaining that there were clandestine efforts by two teachers to convert their children, studying at SMK Balai Ringin, to Islam.

They told Masing, who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, that there is no way they would allow their children to become Muslims.

"We will always remain Catholics," one of the parents told the minister.

"We are concerned because the details of our children's Identity Cards have been taken and submitted to Malaya.

Picture (left): James Masing meeting the angry parents. Seen at right is Snowdan Lawan.

"We are not sure what is the objective of taking the details of the Identity Cards, but we suspect that it was to change the names of our children with the Muslim names and change their religion from Christianity to Islam," one of the parents charged.

Seven parents and their children were accompanied by Balai Ringin state legislator Snowdan Lawan to a hastily arranged meeting with Masing.

According to an upset Snowdan, the two teachers - a male and female - who are from Malaya, arranged for the clandestine camp programme to convert Christian Dayak students from SMK Balai Ringin and SMK Serian.

                                                                                 Picture: Reporters talking to the students.

The modus operandi was to tell the students to attend a "Haluan Malaysia" and "Kem Anak Angkat" programmes at SMK Balai Ringin hall.

The students were told that attending the camp was for their own good and benefit.

The speakers at the camp were four religious teachers from Malaya, with the backing of an unidentified Malayan-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).

 So far, the programme had been held twice - on the first two Saturdays of this month.

According to the students, the target was to get 100 students from SMK Balai Ringin and SMK Serian to attend.

However, about 50 attended.

Snowdan said he checked with the school authority what was the purpose of the camp, and was told that the school headmaster was not aware of it.

"We have to take his word for it. If that was the case, then the programme was secretly held to convert the students to Islam.

"As they are from my constituency, I am very concerned with this clandestine activity," he said.

After hearing the complaints from the parents, Masing blasted the Education Department for not monitoring religious activities in schools in Sarawak.

"You cannot plead ignorance of what are going on in schools," he said.

Picture(left): List of complaints against the teachers and the camp programme.

Masing also expressed concern at the rather aggressive nature of outsiders trying to spread their religious beliefs to others of different religions.

"Sarawak is the most peaceful state in Malaysia, and the activities of these outsiders can affect religious and racial harmony in the state. We do not want that to happen.

"We must maintain Sarawak as the bastion Christian state for ourselves, our children and our future generations," he said.

He also condemned the outsides who have completely shown no respect for other people of different faiths.

"The time has come for us to keep these people from entering the state. We do not need them here," he said.

As for the two teachers of SMK Balai Ringin, Masing said he is leaving the matter to the Education Department to take appropriate action.