Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email Musa accuses ex-deputy of politicising statue issue By : Joniston Bangkuai
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/National/NST41265928.txt/Article/index_html
KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has denied curtailing religious freedom in Sabah.
Explaining his recent actions and the accusations that have been hurled at him over an order to stop work on the Ma Tzu Goddess of the Sea statue in Kudat, Musa said he was not against the building of the statue.
He said the decision to stop work followed objection from other quarters.
During a meeting with 50 Christian, Buddhist and Taoist leaders, Musa said the United Sabah Islamic Association, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia, Persatuan Belia Intelek Kudat, Kudat As-Syakirin Mosque committee and Umno Kudat were unhappy with the project site.
They objected because the statue was being built too close to the district mosque, he added. Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat, the Tanjung Kapur assemblyman, who resigned as deputy chief minister and tourism, culture and environment minister last month had said two days ago that the decision to stop the project prompted him to resign from the state cabinet.
Chong, who mooted the construction of the statue, had implied that state secretary Datuk K. Y. Mustapha issued the order to stop work on the project on Musa’s instruction. He had also said that by resigning, “he was standing up to his principles to defend religious rights and freedom as enshrined in the Constitution”.
Musa said Chong’s comments were a personal attack on him.
“By saying that he resigned to uphold religious freedom, Chong was indirectly accusing me of suppressing religious freedom. I am talking today because I want to put a stop to this character assassination as I too have principles.”
He said the government always took into account the religious and cultural sensitivities of the multi-racial society when making decisions.
Musa said the state government had offered an alternative site for the 27-metre statue and agreed to compensate the cost incurred in building it at the present site.
“I met Chong and made him the offer but he accused me of inciting Umno and the Muslim community in Kudat to oppose the project,” Musa said, adding he was not informed about the project.
He accused Chong of trying to politicise the issue by making comparison to two similar statues built in Tumpat, Kelantan.
“The two statues in Tumpat are within a Siamese resettlement which are predominantly Buddhist and the area has also been gazetted as a place of worship.”
Musa said the original site of the statue had been awarded to a shipping company to put up a building.
