Malay groups want ISA for ‘MCA man’ in azan row

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
January 14, 2011



KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 — A group of 100 Malay protesters congregated in front of Masjid al-Ikhlasiah in Kampung Kerinchi here today to protest against a lawyer from the MCA who purportedly applied pressure to stop the mosque from using loudspeakers to play the Muslim call to prayer.

The group, consisting of members from Muslim welfare group Pekida and Malay rights NGO Perkasa, claimed that a “Chinese lawyer” had demanded the mosque stop the “azan” (call to prayer) recital.

The demonstrators also held posters naming the lawyer and displaying what they claim to be his home address in Pantai Hill Park condominium.

At the protest, the chairman of Pekida’s Lembah Pantai chapter, Zakaria Awang, demanded that the man be arrested for sedition.

“We want him to be arrested under the Internal Security Act for threatening national harmony or he can change his citizenship to a nationality of his own liking,” he said.

He added that the “lawyer” should also make an open apology to the Muslim community in the country.

The group also distributed copies of a fax purportedly from the man, and said to have been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office asking for the volume of the mosque’s loudspeakers to be lowered.

In the letter dated December 20, 2010, the man said that he has been a member of MCA since 1998.

He said that he has been living in Pantai Hill Park for five years and was roused in the mornings by the mosque’s call for prayers.

“Several months ago, I hear the sound from the mosque to be very loud until that it woke me every morning at 5.45am,” the letter read.

It is understood that the man identified had once worked for a former MCA president who was also a Cabinet member.

The man could not be contacted for confirmation that he had written the letter.

Kampung Kerinchi Residents Association chairman Fauzi Che Ahmad said the lawyer must respect the sensitivity of the Muslim community.

Pekida’s Lembah Pantai chapter deputy chairman Sallehudin Yakob also said that the gathering was not political but to protect the sanctity of the religion.

“We have never complained when the Chinese burned firecrackers in the middle of the night. We never made noise when they burn for hours. Don’t play with fire,” he warned.

The speakers gathered behind a long white banner with the words “Call for prayer is a sacred call.”

Other protesters held up placards asking the man to live in the jungle and warning him to not challenge the Muslim community.

The crowd also shouted “God is great,” “Long live Islam,” and “Long live the Malays.”

A small minority of protesters asked for the man to be decapitated and his house to be burned down

The group also asked Lembah Pantai lawmaker Nurul Izzah Anwar to explain her position on the issue.

After talking to reporters, the group proceeded to wave Pekida’s flag and began burning effigies before the police came and stopped them.

The mosque is situated near a new commercial development area called Bangsar South, and was first opened 30 years ago, while the lawyer only moved to the Malay-majority neighbourhood about five years ago.

Pantai Dalam used to be dominated by squatters and low-cost flats but has seen the development of luxury apartments and commercial property in recent years.

The Muslim call for prayer first became a political issue in 2008 when Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly asking a Puchong mosque to stop playing the azan over its loudspeaker.

Kok, who was released a week after her arrest, denied the allegation while the mosque’s committee members also came forward to defend the Selangor DAP chairman.

政府力阻柔佛千年古城浮面 为权力不惜篡改历史

时间：2010-11-22 16:16:05 来源：本报报道 作者：记者

（吉隆坡22日讯）原本和平进行的《残暴的内安法令下50年系列活动》昨日在光大大道举办首场讲座会时，遭一批由光大店商公会副主席甘尼的及巫青团的带领下的大约50人进行闹场。

著名博客MarGeeMar表示，这群示威者有被邀请参与讲座，但是他们却不肯，反而选择以不适当的方式来恐吓出席者，虽然这群示威者并没有准证，但是警方再次袖手旁观。

“这就是由巫统及国阵政权所制造出来的制度化种族主义，目的就是要捍倒受欢迎的槟州民联政府。这只会为回教蒙上污名，因为内安法令与回教教义是有冲突的，但是巫统及国阵却依然利用这种方式来阻碍反对党，让执政党可以继续掌权。”

柔佛州千年古城推翻国阵塑造的历史

MarGeeMar表示，巫统及国阵政权为了制造马来人特权而刻意更改历史的做法是错误的，因为在柔佛州出现的千年古城“Kota Gelanggi”就推翻了国阵的说法，但是这项发现却被政府掩盖着。

“Kota Gelanggi会不会比婆罗浮屠（Borobudur）和吴哥窟（Angkor Wat）更早存在？如果是真的话，那么马来人的历史就要被推翻了。”

根据博客网《National Express Malaysia》的博文指出，Kota Gelanggi这个被列为马来半岛最早期的文明的新闻会完全被封锁是因为这个古城的文化是佛教。

政府极力阻止Kota Gelanggi历史曝光

“这个记载着Srivijaya王朝和其佛教文化高峰的古迹曾经轰动一时，却被静悄悄地停止研究，主要原因是这个发现足以推翻马六甲王朝，一个500年后才成立的回教国为半岛最早文明的记载。”

“我 在最近的讲座会中遇见了Lee Kam Hing教授， 一位新加坡马来亚大学的前历史博士，如今是 《星报》出版社编辑研究主任，他告诉我说他一直都在尽力的宣传Kota Gelanggi，可惜都被政府阻止。很明显地，政府不想让这个历史发现曝光，因为他们要后代深信半岛的历史是从公元1400的马六甲王朝开始。更甚的 是，他们也将历史改写，将拜里米苏拉（Parameswara）记载为信奉回教的马来人。事实上，拜里米苏拉是一名印度王子。”

“回顾历史， 希特勒的公关经理曾经说过：如果你不停重复一个谎言，这个谎言也会变成一个事实。因此，政府消灭了这位著名的马六甲王子是来自印度王朝Sri Vijaya的参考资料，突然之间，我们的博物馆及学校课本都称拜里米苏拉为一名马来王子了。”

“其实，我们的国家由哪一个种族控制政权都是次要的，不可原谅的是为了得到权力而私自更改历史记载的行为。就算一个人改信其他宗教，也该变不了一个人的原籍。拜里米苏拉很可能就是巫统马来人特权思维的始源。”

历史清楚记载拜里米苏拉是印度人

“如 果真的如此，那么马来人特权的说法根本就不存在。马六甲王族拥有的是印度血统，不是马来血统。至于拜里米苏拉是一位来自印度的印度王子的记载也并非什么秘 密。历史很清楚地记载，拜里米苏拉不曾改信回教。他是一位从苏门答腊的巨港（Palembang）逃离出来的兴都教徒，于公元1400年发现马六甲。改信 回教的是之后的　斯里马哈拉惹（Sri Maharaja），他也是将马六甲法庭改为回教法庭的人，并于公元1435年后，将自己的封号改为苏丹莫哈末沙（Sultan Muhammad Shah）。”

“历史上最出名的印度国王是Raja Chola和他的儿子Rajendra Chola。他们于公元1000年占领了泰国南部、吉打、霹雳、柔佛和苏门答腊，并不是马来国王Raja Chulan，可悲的是马来西亚的年轻一代都被教导了。”

“我们被误导印度人和华人是在1850年才以粗工、农夫、采矿工人的身份踏入这个国家的土地上。”

Malaysian magazine regrets hurting Christians

调查报道犯众怒
回教杂志今道歉

作者／本刊记者 Mar 06, 2010 05:10:12 pm

【本刊记者撰述】《回教》（Al-Islam）杂志今日在其出版社前锋创作（Utusan Karya）的网站上放上道歉启事，就刊登《本刊教堂实地观察：寻找改教的回教青年》一文，向天主教道歉。

就在总检察长阿都干尼（Abdul Ghani Patail）宣布不起诉《回教》杂志，并为后者辩护隔天，《回教》杂志总编辑就在前锋创做出版社就的网页更新栏目刊登道歉启事，强调该杂志无意污蔑诋毁天主教。【点击：指记者未存心亵渎天主教会 总检察长：强硬无助于公正】

该 声明仅有三段，并解释整起事情的前因后果，乃因公众向该杂志社指控有些回教徒改信天主教，因此，该杂志才决定实地考察，并撰写《本刊教堂实地观察：寻找改 教的回教青年》一文（Tinjauan Al Islam dalam Gereja: Mencari Kesahihan Remaja Melayu Murtad），在2009年5月份的杂志刊出。

因此该杂志社声明自己并无意亵渎基督教或天主教，无意亵渎教堂。“两名牵涉其中的记者在执行任务的时候并没有意识到其所做所为严重伤害该教教徒们的的感受，他们亦为此道歉。”

除此以外，该声明也在备注栏目注明这篇道歉启事亦将刊登在四月份的《回教》杂志当中。

天主教主教：道歉就没事

该杂志两名信奉回教的记者是在采访专题时潜入吉隆坡富都（Pudu）车站附近一间天主教堂参加教堂弥撒，他们领食了圣餐（面饼），并在事后吐出面饼，把面饼照片刊登在杂志。

该 报道引起了天主教徒强烈的不满，认为这两名记者亵渎了神灵。两名来自槟城的天主教徒华金弗兰西斯塞维尔（Joachim Francis Xavier）和苏哈加兰（Sudhagaran Stanley）在7月8日向警方报案，指两记者触犯《刑罚法典》第295与第298（a）（1）条文。

第295条文规定，不得以任何程度企图侮辱宗教，并破坏或亵渎崇拜场。第298（a）（1）条文规定，不得以口头、文字或任何行为，以宗教理由，造成不和谐、不团结、敌意、仇恨或反感，或妨害维持和谐或和团结。

2010年2月3日，天主教会与非政府组织向警方报案，投诉警方调查仍无下文。接着，总检查属于二月下旬正式宣布不起诉处分。

马来西亚天主教主教莫菲（Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam）对此深感不满，但他表示，根据《星报在线》报道，莫菲说，若该报记者公开道歉，天主教会将不会对《回教》杂志采取行动。【点击：不满未提控亵渎教会记者 天主教要求回教杂志道歉】

Reported by The Sun (7th Mar 2010)

Malaysian magazine Al-Islam has apologised for 'unintentionally hurting the feelings of Christians, particularly Catholics' in a special report last year.

A three-paragraph apology posted on its website said the report was to investigate allegations of apostasy. It said the actions of its reporters who attended a Catholic congregation posing as Christians 'were never intended to deride the Christian faith, let alone desecrate their house of worship'.

'The two reporters involved also tendered their apology for not realising that what they have done in the course of their assignment has offended the feelings of Christians,' The Star newspaper reported Sunday.

Al-Islam's report, 'Finding the truth on teenage Malay apostates', was published in its May 2009 issue. The journalists had posed as Christians and participated in a mass at the St Anthony's Church here.

The reporters were said to have admitted to receiving the Holy Communion then spitting it out, an act Catholics consider as sacrilege.

Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Murphy Pakiam said he was pleased with the quick response by the publishers, editors and authors.

'We accept their apology and extend our hand in peace. The Catholic community is now at peace following the apology. May God bless our country,' he said.

Malaysia has a significant Christian minority that is part of a multi-ethnic 28 million population.

“阿拉”字眼的另一种观点

作者／赛胡先阿里 Jan 25, 2010 08:58:57 pm

【赛胡先阿里撰述/本刊黄书琪、实习记者罗彩妹翻译】非回教徒使用“阿拉”字眼风波还是于波荡漾，闹得沸腾腾。一部分人民愤慨，政府已失去了原则和方向，而一众巫统重要领袖显然混乱。

众人所知，此争论源自内政部向天主教刊物《先驱报》定下的规则。在发出的准证中，内政部禁止该报沿用“阿拉”（Allah）字眼。

《先驱报》将此案带上法庭并且胜诉。法庭的裁决引起许多回教徒的忧虑及愤怒。无可否认，一部分人的立场及态度是真诚、高尚、纯洁的。

捞取利益

问题是，人们的怒气和忧虑，遭包括巫统领袖在内的人士利用了。他们认为这个课题可以加以利用，以削弱民联政府，以及争取到马来人的支持（或选票）。

此外，众巫统领袖觉得，如果“阿拉”字眼风波能处理得好，他们将可达到其他目的。一位高级的巫统部长坚信这个课题将可令回教党和行动党的关系出现裂缝乃至破裂，及至终止民联的历史。

另外，巫统最高领导层认为，借着这个课题，他们可以调动各阶层马来人或回教徒的支持。他们知道此课题贴近马来人或回教徒的心，并希望此一课题将淹没贪污、滥权、战机发动机失窃案、阿尔丹杜雅命案等课题。

当部长就高庭判决提出上诉，而首相允许示威活动时，这个课题演化成一个大课题。回教徒怒气高升，极端分子的行动失去了控制。

法庭只作出允许《先驱报》使用“阿拉”字眼的决定。不幸的是，它被视为开通了非回教徒社会如基督教徒及其他宗教信徒使用该字眼的道路。极端分子利用这个机会的机会越来越浓。

部 长向法庭提出上诉及允许示威的决定，事实上跟政府的宪报（gazzette）相悖。政府于2009年2月16日颁布的宪报（编号P.U.（A）88号）阐 明，第一，印刷、出版、发行和拥有任何印有“阿拉”（Allah）、“回教麦加圣堂”（Kaabah）、“真主的家”（Baitullah）和“祈祷 ”（solat）字眼的基督教相关文件和出版品都被禁止，除非在封面注明“只供天主教徒阅读”。

政府领袖口口声声说尊重法律，为什么连他们自己所颁布的宪报都不尊重？为什么他们反而采取一些足以被极端分子——这包括巫统及一些为其所操控的思想狭窄的媒体——利用的态度和行动，以在人民之间煽动种族及宗教情绪？

部长及首相不负责任的态度和行动已经暂且掩盖了一直缠绕他们的课题，这且令他们捞取了回教徒社会的一些支持。可是，他们却无法削弱民联，更何况粉碎民联。

回教党和公正党的立场

回教党跟公正党采取相同的立场，即不禁止非回教徒使用“阿拉”字眼。与此同时，他们提醒道，基督教徒不可以为了自己的利益滥用这个自由。安华依布拉欣（Anwar Ibrahim）在与这些教会领袖见面时，也强调这一点。

回 教党和公正党的立场为行动党和基督教徒及其他非回教徒所接受。民联不像众巫统领袖们想象般分裂以致粉碎，反而变得更强大及稳固。两党是基于几个因素，得出 上述立场，其中，第一，《可兰经》及《圣训》（Hadith）的教条并没有禁止非回教徒使用“阿拉”字眼；第二，非回教徒在很久以前已采用“阿拉”字眼， 包括先知默罕默德（Nabi Mohammad S.A.W）时代，及第三，该字眼此前在多个地区为非回教徒使用，特别是沙巴和砂拉越，并没有引起任何争议。

那些不同意的人辩驳，某些《可兰经》的句子虽然并没有明言禁止，但其中一些训言可以被解读为禁止非回教徒使用“阿拉”字眼。他们声明，我们必须完整解读《可兰经》。

诚然，我们不能否定过去的历史，他们认为其他地方的（非回教徒）或许可以使用这个字眼，但这个社会并不适合这么使用。他们以基于语言与文化等理由，马来社群因此拥有异于其他社群的意见。

但请问何谓“马来社群”？从社会文化的角度来看，印度尼西亚社群亦算是马来族群的一员；同时，也包括沙巴及砂拉越传统社群。

政府在压力底下同意让沙巴、砂拉越，以致于联邦直辖区、槟城的基督徒使用“阿拉”。是否是因为上述地区以非回教徒占多数？为何一个马来西亚，却有两套规定？这是否显示巫统领导的政府立场投机又没有原则？

反对社群的说法

反 对非回教徒使用“阿拉”一词者提出好几个论据，第一、 “阿拉”字眼对马来信徒有着特别的含义；第二，如果继续允许（非回教徒）使用该词，他们担心回教徒将因此受影响而改信基督教；第三、认为这是基督教，尤其 是天主教利用“阿拉”字眼来吸引更多马来人及回教徒的阴谋及策略。

当政府决定一国两制，允许沙、砂、联邦直辖区及槟州的非回教徒享有使用权时，第一个论点已经不成立。明显的，政府是基于政治考虑做出如此决定，但其他非回教徒占多数的城市呢？政府的作法只是证明他们在这个议题上缺乏原则、投机。

至 于第二点则显示了一部分的回教徒对本身宗教的信条不具信心。的确，很多回教徒的信念并不强，对回教知识的了解亦不深。那些呼吁捍卫只有回教徒使用“阿拉” 字眼的宗教司及非政府组织实际上根本没有努力宣教，他们应该更努力、积极传教、教育回教社群，如果他们可以如此辛勤，说不定会有更多基督徒或非回教徒改信 回教。

看看沙巴、砂拉越州，尽管基督徒长久以来皆使用“阿拉”一词，但改信基督教的回教徒屈指可数，虽然大部分回教徒并不深入了解回教，但他们拥有坚定的信念，试想想看，倘若他们不仅信念坚定，同时也在宗教领袖、政府协助底下更加了解回教，这样的情况又会如何？

相反的，就算沙巴、砂拉越可以自由使用“阿拉”一词，但卡达山人、伊班人依然大量皈依回教。我国以回教徒占多数，而且《联邦宪法》阐明非回教徒不能向回教徒传教、让他们改教，所以，何必这么害怕？

第三点，任何宗教都想要增加自己的信徒人数，这一点都不让人感到惊奇。但我们必须记得看一下常被人提起的印度尼西亚，当地的基督社群得以大量扩展并不是因为他们获准使用“阿拉”这个词汇，而是因为基督传教士在诸多内陆、边陲地区与人民站在一起，提供教育、福利工作。

应该采取的行动

所 以，为何我国的回教非政府组织工作者与政府都没有付出更多努力，提升回教徒的回教知识与信念？为何他们不专注于协助那些拥有坚定信念但却缺乏回教知识的贫 困、边缘社群？为何回教传教士在原住民社群的影响如此之小？为何政府并不热衷于提供资金赞助回教传教士，反而关闭宗教学校？

政府体制内外的各宗教社团应该加强贫困、边缘社群的福利工作，他们应该施压政府协助传教士、各级回教教育机构。还有，自诩马来人、回教徒英雄的巫统不是应该做得更多吗？

就算基督教徒在使用“阿拉”一词时含有隐议程，但他们的活动依然是受法律限制的，我国《联邦宪法》已经明文禁止其他宗教向马来人、回教徒传教，想想看，他们是处于下风、无法可施的一群，因此，马来回教徒不应再囿于自卑情结。

最后，基督教会只需要做些重要事情就可以完全扑灭这场被极端分子煽点起来的宗教、族群冲突，只要教会高层领导人保证他们绝对没有任何使用“阿拉”以扩展影响力的隐议程或策略，一切就太好了！

赛胡先阿里（Syed Husin Ali）是人民公正党署理主席

点击：马来文版《Isu Allah dari perspektif lain》

面子书(Facebook) 留言成为首名阿拉争议被控者

面子书留言可代人丢掷汽油弹
学生成为首名阿拉争议被控者

一名25岁的学院生在著名社交网站《面子书》（facebook）上留言，自称可以代人丢掷汽油弹，结果在今午被控上法庭。这也是“阿拉”字眼争议而衍生10宗教堂被攻击事件以来，首名被控的人士。

这名学院生是莫哈末达斯利夫（Mohamad Tasyrif Tajudin，左图），相信他是在朋友的《面子书》发表上述恐吓字句，结果惹祸上身。

莫哈末达斯利夫被控在1月10日上午10点，于八打灵再也的一间住家，在《面子书》写下“……你要我把汽油弹丢向那里？……价格可以商议...”（Ke nak aku baling bom petrol di sana plak? ... harga boleh runding...）的留言。

可判监禁不超过1年

他是在《1998年通讯及多媒体法令》第233(1)(a)条文下，被控发表具有威胁，试图制造骚乱的留言，并可在233（3）相同法令下治罪。

达斯利夫表示明白有关控诉，但却不认罪。

若罪名成立，他将面对不超过5万令吉罚款，或监禁不超过1年，或两者兼施。

将被扣留直至下周一

检 控官杜苏奇（Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar）建议，允许被告以1万令吉和1名担保人保释外出。不过，由于承审法官阿兹兰（Aslam Zainuddin）无法出庭，代为过堂的推事何江进（Koh Khuang Chin，译音）表示，此事需要等至下周一，由阿兹兰法官亲自决定。

也因如此，被告将会被送进扣留所，直至下周一才再次出庭。

表现冷静没聘请律师

被告目前是位于吉隆坡的国家艺术及文化学院的电影系1年级生。他长得身形魁梧，留有长发和胡须。他没聘请任何律师，只身坐在被告栏时，显得神色冷静。

《1998年通讯及多媒体法令》233条款是针对滥用网路设备或网路服务的使用。

任何人透过网路设备或服务，刻意制造、产生和征求，并造成下流、猥亵、虚假、恶意或者冒犯性内容的通讯，以惹恼、恐吓或骚扰任何人，一旦罪成，可面对不超过5万令吉罚款或监禁不超过一年或两者兼施，并将面对一项额外的罚款。若在罪成后重犯，每日罚款1000令吉。

真正肇事者还没落网

无论如何，由于警方和总检察署只提控在网上恫言丢掷汽油弹者，但未逮捕真正的凶徒，可能遭致社会的更多非议。

随着高庭裁决天主教周刊《先锋报》有权使用“阿拉”字眼后，国内即接连发生了10起教堂被袭击事件。最新的事故是，一间位于柔佛州的天主教堂昨日遭红漆弹袭击。

此外，《先锋报》代表律师德力弗南得斯（Derek Fernandez）的办公室昨早也遭人撬开，强行破门而入，律师楼文件遭搜索捣乱，再次敲响"阿拉"字眼争议所衍生的治安警钟。

Christian Federation : Allow Bible in Bahasa Malaysia:

Published: Thursday December 25, 2008 MYT 6:43:00 PM

By ROYCE CHEAH

PETALING JAYA: The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) has called on the Government to re-look its restriction on Bibles written in Bahasa Malaysia.

CFM vice-chairman Rev Dr Eu Hong Seng said considering that Bahasa Malaysia is the national language, it was perplexing that the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia was classified under Section 22 of the Internal Security Act as a document “prejudicial to the national interest and security of the Federation.”

“Though special exemption was made for this Bible to be used by Christians in churches, in this modern day and age when almost anything can be accessed on the Internet, it is regrettable that our Holy Scriptures are still seen as ‘prejudicial to the security’ of the country,” Dr Eu said.

Dr Eu made this suggestion at the CFM’s open house which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi attended, referring to a previous statement that Abdullah had made, saying that his last mission before he leaves office next March would be to cool racial and religious tensions in the country.

“This is our wish for Christmas and we know these things will certainly ease tensions and it will definitely have a positive impact on your legacy,” Dr Eu said.

He also thanked Abdullah for opening up democratic space, which has brought greater freedom of expression.

He also pledged that the CFM would stand committed to and fervent in nation building.

Bible - History of the Malay translation

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Not too many people realize that long before Bible translations in Chinese, Tamil or Tagalog became available, Matthew's Gospel had already been translated into Malay by a Dutch tradesman named Albert Cornelisz Ruyl. The text was completed in 1612, only a year after the English King James Version was released, and was printed in 1629. It is fascinating that this Matthew's Gospel in Malay is the very first non-European translation of a Bible portion. An original copy of this Malay translation of Matthew's Gospel entitled: Iang Testamentum Baharu: Evangelium Mulkadus Bersuratnja Kepada Mattheum is now found at the Public Library of Stuttgard, Germany. Ruyl continued his Malay translation with the assistance of Jan van Hasel and Justus Heurnius and their edition of the Four Gospels and Acts was printed in 1651. This was followed a year later by the printing of the Psalms in Malay, prepared by the latter two authors. After the translation of Genesis, printed in 1662, the Rev. Daniel Brouwerious went on to produce the first complete Malay translation of the New Testament in 1668; unfortunately this translation suffers from the excessive use of Portuguese loan words. Melchior Leijdecker, a Dutch medical doctor with theological training, gave us the very first complete Bible in Malay in 1733. He translated the New Testament (printed 1731) and then the whole Bible while based in Batavia (now Jakarta) with the assistance of a review committee. The publication entitled: Elkitab, Ija itu segala Surat Perdjandjian Lama dan Baharuw was printed in Amsterdam in Roman script. Twenty-five years later a five-volume Malay Bible in Jawi script was published in 1758. Leijdecker's Malay Bible provided an important beginning and his work was extensively revised during the 19th century by a series of translators who were based both in what is now called Indonesia and Peninsular Malaysia. Meanwhile in Indonesia, a Dutch Mennonite missionary, named Hillebrandus Cornelius Klinkert printed the Malay Four Gospels in 1861 and the New Testament in 1863, in the low Malay of Semarang, Central Java. He was assisted by Encik Mumin in the Riau Islands off Sumatra. They translated the Gospel according to Matthew in 1868, the New Testament in 1870, and then the full Malay Bible translation in 1879. Thus, this represents the second major effort in translating the sixty-six books of the Bible into Malay. Between 1880 and 1929, the Singapore branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) expanded major efforts in translating the Bible into Malay. The most prominent of these was the LMS missionary William Girdlestone Shellabear who gave us the first Malay Bible translation specifically in the Malay of what is now called Peninsular Malaysia. In this version Jesus was rendered Isa al-Maseh. Shellabear is also remembered for the New Testament in Baba Malay. In 1929, the Netherlands Bible Society, BFBS and the National Bible Society of Scotland combined their effort in producing a Malay Bible translation that could meet the need's of both Indonesia and Peninsular Malaysia. This new translation was intended to replace the previous Bible translations made by Leijdecker (1733), Klinkert (1879) and Shellabear (1912). For this purpose, a German missionary named Werner August Bode, working in Tomohon, Minahasa, produced a Malay New Testament (1938), and several Old Testament books such as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Psalms. In order to meet the needs of Indonesian Christians in an independent Indonesia, the Indonesian Bible Society, which was founded in 1954, printed the so-called Terjemahan Lama "Old Translation" in 1958, as a stop gap measure until a fully Indonesian Bible translation became available. This comprised Klinkert's Old Testament (1879) and Bode's New Testament (1938). Meanwhile, Fr. J. Bouma of the Roman Catholic Church in Indonesia came up with a new Indonesian translation of the New Testament published by Arnoldus in Ende, Flores in 1964. Dr. Cletus Groenen worked on a translation of the Old Testament until 1968 when the Roman Catholic Church decided to stop its own translation project and join the Bible translation programme of the Indonesian Bible Society. In 1952 a team headed by Dutch Dr. J.L. Swellengrebel (1952-59) initiated the work on a truly Indonesian Bible translation. Beginning in 1962 an Indonesian, Dr. J.L. Abineno, headed this team until the completion of the project. The New Testament was printed in 1971, and the full Bible was published in 1974. It also included the Deuterocanonical edition. This version called the Terjemahan Baru "New Translation" (INT) was the first truly ecumenical Bible translation in Indonesian. The translation approach taken with this and most earlier translations was based on the 'formal equivalence' translation method, which as far as possible, attempts to retain the form of the original biblical languages. It is helpful to point out that in October 1997, the Indonesian Bible Society launched the newly revised New Testament of the INT called Perjanjian Baru Terjemahan Baru edisi ke-2 "New Testament: New Translation, Second Edition" (INT97). This was prepared by a team of biblical scholars who are experts in biblical Greek. Furthermore, in the final stage of the revision effort, numerous biblical scholars and heads of churches from all over Indonesia gathered in Cipayung, West Java, to discuss the revision before the text was finalized. Although the INT was being used in Malaysian churches, it was eventually realized that a truly Malaysian Bible translation was needed to communicate the Good News accurately, without confusion and misunderstanding brought about by the subtle differences between Indonesian and Malay. Consequently, the Bible Society of Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia (BSSBM) printed the first Malay Common Language New Testament Perjanjian Baru: Berita Baik Untuk Manusia Moden "New Testament: Good News for Modern Man" in 1974. It was mainly the labour of love of a West Malaysian pastor of Indonesian background named Rev. Elkanah T. Suwito. The full Malay Bible Alkitab: Berita Baik Untuk Manusia Moden "Bible: Good News for Modern Man" (TMV) was published by BSSBM in 1987. This particular translation was based on the new translation method called 'Dynamic/Functional Equivalence' that emphasizes the transfer of the meaning and function of the original biblical languages rather than retaining the form. Applying this new translation method, a new Indonesian Bible version was prepared by a team of translators. As a result, Today's Indonesian New Testament was published by the Indonesian Bible Society in 1977. Thus, Alkitab Kabar Baik Dalam Bahasa Indonesia Sehari-hari "Good News Bible in Indonesian Everyday Language" (TIV) was published in 1985, and the Deuterocanonical edition was published in 1988. This Indonesian dynamic Bible translation is also being used by some churches in Malaysia.