My response to The Star article on alleged statement by Association of Churches Sarawak

11.45am Important Update. Please also refer to the latest Malaysian Insider report where Secretary-General of Association of Churches Sarawak said that he had been misquoted by Bernama and that’s he’s already contacted the Editor.

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I’m surprised that The Star reported yesterday (article reproduced below) that the Association of Churches Sarawak (ACS) has expressed regret at Pakatan Rakyat regarding our closed door meeting. The Star’s report is intentionally incomplete, and is politically-motivateed to paint Pakatan Rakyat leaders in a negative light and a desperate last-ditch attempt to mislead the public for tomorrow’s Sarawak state elections.

I wish to clarify what happened.

ACS leaders had agreed to meet Pakatan Rakyat leaders in a closed door meeting with the requests that
a) they would not hold any press conference together with us, and that
b) we would not allow members of the media to come into the room to photograph our meeting,

which Pakatan Rakyat fully complied with.

ACS leaders saw the presence of the media when they arrived at the venue.  They also saw Pakatan Rakyat not allowing the media to enter the room to take pictures of us.

ACS leaders were aware that the media were waiting outside the venue. They never forbade us from speaking to the media. And we Pakatan leaders could not have been expected to ignore the media after the closed door dialogue session when the media had been waiting outside all the while. It was understood that Pakatan would speak with the reporters after the meeting ended.

In fact, even if Pakatan had not had any meeting with ACS, everything that we said to the reporters was a reiteration of our stand on issues related to Christians and churches all this while. They were the same things things we have consistently been saying during our political rallies and meet-the-people sessions all this while, and even before the Sarawak state elections campaign ever began.

Pakatan Rakyat appreciates that ACS leaders agreed to meet with us. We understand their situation. I believe that they are under tremendous pressure and that is why they made such a statement.

ACM regrets press conference held after meeting

KUCHING: The Association of Churches Sarawak has expressed regret that DAP, PAS and PKR leaders held a press conference on the association’s meeting with them Thursday concerning the Bahasa Malaysia bibles issue. 

ACS secretary-general Ambrose Linang said the breakfast meeting was held behind closed doors after the leaders agreed to the association’s request not to hold a press conference regarding it.

“Our association received an invitation from Selangor state executive councillor Teresa Kok to have a breakfast meeting with the leaders of these opposition parties and agreed on condition that political issues would not be discussed as we are non-partisan.

“Shortly after the meeting we left. However, we were disappointed to learn that these leaders held a press conference later,” he said when contacted by Bernama.

Ambrose said the association would study the statements made at the press conference, and if there were political elements, it would issue an official statement.