政府及内阁的中庸派去了哪里？

首相阿都拉再出席马来西亚基督徒联合会举办的圣诞节茶会上曾经发表演辞，呼吁中庸派人士带领打击极端分子，以免极端主义不会抬头。

他说：“如果中庸人士一言不发，这将允许极端分子继续占据舞台的中央。然后，极端主义将会抬头，成为我国处理国家和宗教课题的主流方式。”

无论如何，从最近政府持续禁止非穆斯林使用‘阿拉’字眼，以及当局在古达停建世界最高的妈祖神像，许多国人都有权质问：到底内阁和政府里的中庸派去了哪里？他们要如何打击极端分子，避免极端主义不会抬头？

内阁那里可以不正当地把这个禁令以不明文规定的方式作为更新天主教周刊《先锋报》出版准证的条件，以合理化他们对‘阿拉’字眼使用的禁令？为何在过去50年四任首相东姑阿都拉曼、敦拉萨、敦胡先翁以及敦马哈迪掌权之下，基督教徒和锡克教徒在使用这个字眼时并没有造成宗教混淆、紧张或冲突？

其实，马来西亚多元宗教之间关系的僵化是因为内阁侵犯非穆斯林信仰自由的基本人权，禁止他们使用‘阿拉’字眼所导致的。

为何内阁中的中庸派站稳立场，以致他们遭内阁中的极端分子欺压？

上周日，行动党士布爹区国会议员郭素沁和我特别前往古达，以便能够获得妈祖神像风波的第一手。为何在处理这事件上，地方、州和联邦政府皆无法展示良好施政的一面，导致马来西亚成为国际笑柄？

对于副首相纳吉同一天（纳吉在也在访问沙巴）在督亚兰谈及这个课题，我感到非常高兴和欣慰。纳吉表示，政府希望前沙巴州副首席部长章家杰能够以友善的方式来解决妈祖神像的问题，无需对簿公堂。我立即欢迎纳吉的言论。

然而，经过政府在处理《先锋报》问题所展示的朝三暮四态度后（即当局决定更新出版准证，但是搬出一项不明文规定，禁止使用‘阿拉’字眼——而这个禁令也侵犯锡克教徒的信仰自由），我对纳吉在督亚兰所发表的言论顿时失去信心，因为其言论不能被视为内阁和政府里的中庸派战胜极端派。

在这事件上，沙巴州一名前首长对另一名前首长所作出的指责更是加深我的忧虑，尤其是他们本来应该在这事件上站在同一立场，捍卫沙巴人和其他马来西亚人信仰自由的共同宪赋权力——要求在古达继续建造这座高108英尺的妈祖神像。

昨日的《每日快报》（Daily Express）报道杨德利抨击章家杰的言论（刚好两者皆为沙巴州前首长）。前者抨击后者毫无审慎可言，因为章家杰‘以措词强烈的方式把问题恶化，把政治局势紧张化’。（1月1日的报道）

有关报章在一则题为“Accept in good faith: Yong”的报道中指出：

Yong, also a former Chief Minister, said the continued attacks by Chong on the Government and its leaders had only made the situation worse. He said it was also interesting that Chong has linked the so-called “Sipadan incident” to the Mazu project.

He said by opening up another issue, Chong now says that the Mazu project was, after all, not just about the Mazu project and there was a wider dimension. “Was Sipadan the one and only issue? Or, was Sipadan, an after-thought? If any, what were the other issues that Chong had with the Government and the BN going back to a few years?” Yong asked.

He said these were questions which answers would shed more background on how the Mazu project has turned out today.

到底杨德利是基于什么理由抨击章家杰？这完全是《每日快报》（Daily Express）一则题为“章家杰：纳吉完全了解，我已走投无路”的报道所致。这则报道引述章家杰针对纳吉在督亚兰所发表的谈话，即他是在没有其他方法的情况下才决定采取法律途径，即：

“Not that I want to be nasty and go to court. The suit that I took is not simply for the sake of main main saja. I have no choice kerana saya kena paksa. I have no choice but to seek legal redress kerana the State Government through the Kudat Town Board (KTB) withdrew atau revoked the KTB’s approval to the Mazu project under a specific provision of Section 15 of the Town Planning Ordinance.

“And under Section 16 of the same ordinance, whoever is aggrieved by the refusal of a permission or by the making of a prohibition must within 28 days from the date of receiving notice of the decision, appeal to the High Court against the decision by notice in writing,” he told a press conference at his office at Alamesra here.

On another newspaper’s heading “Govt Hopes Chong Will Settle Mazu Issue Amicably: DPM”, Chong said it is not the Government’s hopes but actually the hope of DPM.

“If it is the Government’s hopes, sudah selesaibah. Betulkah? Ini ada salah print sikit. Patut the DPM hopes. But DPM is not wrong because he has been fully briefed by me.”

Chong said since the letter of revocation was already issued to him on Nov. 15, 2007, it is imperative that he act accordingly.

“Sekiranya, saya tidak ambil tindakan, ertinya saya salah, (If I don’t take action, it means I am wrong); ertinya I admitted something wrong with my project. That is why I am appealing to the court.”

On Sunday, Najib said the issue of the Mazu statue can be resolved if the parties involved discuss it among themselves, instead of going through the courts.

Chong reiterated that he has been sabar (patient) for more one-and-a-half years. “If there is any BN leader in Malaysia who is really that patient, then Chong Kah Kiat is the man. If I wanted to be nasty, jahat, nakal, I would have taken the Government to court long time ago.

“I never did that. I have got letters and documents to prove how far and how wide I have gone through all this. You think I like to have this sort of problem? You think I like to give up my job?

“My message today is bukan saya seolah-olah main tunjuk lawa mau pergi court. Tidak, saya kena paksa kerana under Section 16, I only got 28 days to appeal against the decision.

“Kalau mau bincang, saya sudah bincang dengan banyak orang, KL and all this. Semua surat saya ada, semua dokumen saya ada. Not that saya tidak pernah buat perbincangan.”

The former CM said he had not only been discussing but writing, pleading, begging everybody in the BN to see reason, to be rational and reasonable.

“I have already done everything within my means. What did I get in the end – a letter to cancel my project!

“For the record, I also met PM. PM came to LDP Congress on 11th Nov.

PM asked me to see him the following Wednesday. I went to his office. We had a very good meeting on 14th Nov, to be fair to Pak Lah. He was very good. Everything is done. But Pak Lah being a diplomat, you knowlah.

“After having successfully met the PM on 14th Nov, the State ‘rewarded’ me with a letter of revocation letter on 15th Nov, contrary to what PM told me. As a result of which, I have 28 days from the date I received (the letter) to go to court, failing which, that would mean I salah (wrong).”

On the Government’s hope to bring the Mazu statue issue back to the negotiation table (instead of going through the court), Chong said it is not a question of negotiating.

“What is there to negotiate? It is a question of whether the Government’s decision is right or wrong. Simple logic. If the decision (conveyed in a directive dated June 6, 2006 from the Local Government & Housing Ministry, ordering suspension of works on the project) and followed by a letter from the State Secretary on June 23, 2006 (ordering immediate stoppage of work) is correct and legal, why should the Government talk about compensation and relocating the site?” he asked.

“I know I am not wrong. I have all this while adhered to the law.”

Answering a reporter on Federal leaders’ stand, Chong said: “They have been very good and understanding, all I can say. I don’t want to say much. But at the right time if I am forced to.”

Asked why then did the State not give the approval, he replied:

“Personal… I have said that already. If you remember May 2006 Sipadan – that is how it started. Before Sipadan, my project is already completed (except for assembling the statue). It’s all documented in the national and state papers. What was said, what was blasted, it’s all thereÉall the statements from the State leadership including mine.

“Bulan satu buat kerja, bulan dua, bulan tiga, bulan empat, bulan lima buat kerja. All up already before this (Sipadan), in the open. Secara terbuka saya punya projek. Siap, sekarang mau assemble. After Sipadan, less than three weeks, my project was stoppedÉno one can run away from Sipadan. How otherwise can you explain?”

这是令人觉得羞耻和不幸的，因为两者同是前沙州首长，他们本来应该团结在同一阵线之下，共同努力完成古达这座高达108英尺，属全球最高的妈祖神像，尤其是建筑材料如云石等在18个月前就已经运抵亚庇港口，反之杨德利却带头攻击章家杰，反对在古达兴建马祖神像！

古达马祖神像项目——到底杨德利和谁同一阵线？是马来西亚和沙巴州的中庸派还是极端派？