Lessons that Nancy Shukri is teaching Malaysians

De facto law minister Nancy Shukri says her statement on why the Attorney-General Chambers will not prosecute Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali over his threat to burn Malay Bibles has been taken out of context. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, October 10, 2014.

Yes, no one should get angry with Nancy Shukri for the written parliamentary reply for the lack of action against Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali's threat to burn Malay Bibles.

It was not her decision. Her job as the de facto law minister is merely to answer questions related to law, some of which are directed at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

But here's what we can learn from the minister in the Prime Minister's Department in her statement last night over the outrage caused Putrajaya's decision not to prosecute Ibrahim.

1. When push comes to shove about prosecution, Nancy will shovel it to the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC). After all, the Attorney-General has the ultimate authority to decide on prosecution, if we don't know that.

Yes, we do. That office is still part of the government, the executive part of the government. That does not mean the responsibility stops with the AGC. The government takes the blame for this, not just the AGC.

2. The Malay Bible is illegal throughout Malaysia and can be burned because its existence proves propagation to Muslims, who all read Malay, and that is illegal according to law.

Nancy's statement does confirm that the AGC did not prosecute Ibrahim for his threat to burn Malay bibles as it was based on Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution that prevents the propagation of other religions to Muslims.

So, we now know that a Malay-language Bible, with the words clearly printed “Not for Muslims”, is still considered propagation of a religion to Muslims by law. And threats to burn them are fine and permissible by law.

How does that square with the Barisan Nasional's (BN) 10-point plan that these Bibles can be used in Sabah and Sarawak although not in the Malay peninsula. Wouldn't it be considered propagation to Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak?

Is the BN promise a breach of the Federal Constitution?

3. Nancy believes her entire reply is fine but some people are not happy with the answer because the excerpts were published without any context of what the AGC had done according to the law.

Nancy's assumption is that her reply was truncated and that has led to a negative perception among people who have little understanding of the legal process.

Thank you for underestimating Malaysians, Ms Minister.

No. People are upset and outraged and unhappy because a man has threatened to burn a holy book, no matter the language, and no action is being taken.

4. Nancy has an excellent service record since her election as the Batang Sadong MP in 2008. She has served her constituents without considering their religious or racial background.

Christians in her constituency have experienced her caring and responsible attitude to their needs, as seen by the number of houses of worship built and maintained since she was elected. She has even helped the Hindus.

We hope so. They are all Malaysians. Is she saying that other BN MPs do not do the same? That it is the politicians who make sure this happens and not the civil service.

Again, is she making the distinction between the politicians and the civil service? How naive are we to think that both are government.

5. Oh, and Nancy also feels and understands the dissatisfaction by other religious adherents over her reply that had its "context purposely misreported", particularly as she was brought up in a family of many faiths and in Sarawak, where the different ethnicities and religious communities live in harmony.

Is it a wonder that Sarawak has banned Ibrahim from entering the state?

Does she wonder why there is outrage over the lack of prosecution on Ibrahim's threat? Does she think the AGC made a mistake?

6. Yes, Nancy blames the opposition for making political capital out of her reply.

That the opposition is using social media to spread news that have a negative impact on the government.

That this is a good way to distract from the opposition's own problems or in the states it rules.

Of course Nancy, your reply was an own goal. At least you know it can give rise to a negative perception of the government that inaction to prosecute someone who threatens to burn a Bible, no matter the language, is an outrage.

But you're not going to do anything about it, because it is the law and since the police and the AGC have done their work and decided that there was no case against Ibrahim.

Nancy is blameless in this case. It is our fault for not understanding the law. It is the opposition's fault for capitalising on her reply.

Yes, we are all wrong. Ibrahim is right to threaten to burn Bibles. This is Malaysia, we are a country of moderates. Here ends the lessons of the day.

- TMI