Jais has no right to raid Bible Society of Malaysia premises, says council of churches

The Selangor Islamic authorities do not have the authority to raid the premises of the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM), said the Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM).

Saying they were alarmed by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department's (Jais) raid today on BSM where they confiscated over 300 Bibles in Malay and Iban, CCM general-secretary Rev Dr Hermen Shastri said that the Federal Constitution guaranteed the right of religious communities in the country to freely profess and administer their affairs.

Selangor Islamic authorities raid Bible Society of Malaysia, 300 copies of Alkitab seized

The Selangor Islamic Religious department (Jais) has raided the Bible Society of Malaysia and carted away 300 copies of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia and Iban this afternoon.

A council member for the society said its chairman, Lee Min Choon, and general-secretary, Simon Wong, were ordered to follow Jais officers to the Damansara Utama police station.

The member said, as BSM was conducting a stock take today, they were not open when some 20 Jais officers accompanied by two policemen arrived at their office about 2pm.