I guess foreign workers will not be be able to take off on a Saturday to vote, Sunday is an off day for most of them. It is to cater for the foreign workers, voting for UMNO, not for citizens of Malaysia that is why
Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing said the government has displayed scant respect for its ‘1Malaysia' slogan by allowing the Election Commission to hold polling on a Sunday. The EC last Wednesday set Saturday, April 20, as nominations day and fixed polling for Sunday, May 5.
"In
spite of the fact that the government knows that Sunday is a holy day
where Christians must go to church and worship God, the EC has set
polling for such a day," bemoaned the head of the Catholic Church in the
Melaka-Johor diocese."This disrespect of the government of Christian rights just proves that its ‘1Malaysia' slogan was merely rhetorical and not intended to be substantive," remarked Paul Tan.
"The vote in the last two general elections was held on a Saturday which is ideal for the discharge of the civic obligation to vote, particularly in a country that adheres to a five-day work week. "This time the vote has been fixed for a Sunday, which would be disruptive to Christians wanting to acquit themselves of their religious and civic obligations on the same day," said the Jesuit-trained prelate.
He described the decision to hold the vote on a Sunday as reflective of a pattern of government insensitivity to Christians as seen in the seeming immunity conferred on some politicians who had engaged in stoking unfounded fears of Christian proselytisation of Muslims and others who had even threatened to burn the Bible. "This decision on a Sunday ballot caps a series of actions or their lack which in combination reflects callous insensitivity to the feelings of Christians in Malaysia," opined the bishop. "For this reason, I will urge Catholics in my diocese to consider carefully before voting. "The BN government is demonstrably false in respect of its slogan of ‘1Malaysia' which we understand to be a call to build a united nation. The slogan has been honoured more in the breach than in the observance."
Unable to return to hometowns to vote
Bishop Tan disclosed that in his diocese there are many priests who have to return to their original residence where they are registered as voters. "They are caught in a dilemma: to say Mass (the Catholic way of worshiping God and receiving His blessings) or to return to vote. "I, too, am caught in this situation as I am unable to return to Petaling Jaya where I am registered as a voter. This wasn't a problem in the last two elections when polling was held on a Saturday." The bishop also pointed out that there are Christian workers attached to parishes in his diocese who will similarly find it hard to return to their hometowns to vote.
"What about people living in the interior like the orang asal in Sabah and Sarawak. They too will be caught in such a dilemma," he said. In a recent census conducted by the Catholic Church, the number of Catholics in Malaysia was said to be 926,000, among an overall Christian population of 2.2 million in a country that the 2010 national census said had 28 million people. Sunday voting - EC disrespecting Rukunegara
