Kota Kinabalu: Sabah can protect freedom of religion while safeguarding public security in dealing with a proposed US gospel concert scheduled for later this month.
Kota Kinabalu MP Datuk Chan Foong Hin called for a clear, fair and transparent approach in considering the organiser’s pending application for the performance.
He said Sabah’s long-standing tradition of religious diversity, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence should guide the authorities in making their decision.
“A lawful religious event should be allowed to proceed, provided the organisers comply with the relevant laws, regulations and reasonable security requirements,” he said in a statement.
Chan said any genuine security concerns should be assessed professionally and addressed through appropriate measures.
He cautioned that objections or the possibility of protests should not, by themselves, become grounds to veto the lawful activities of another religious community.
He also stressed that supporting the right of Christians in Sabah to organise and attend a gospel concert did not amount to endorsing the political views of any performer.
“Disagreement with an artist’s political views should not, on its own, become grounds for curtailing the religious rights of Sabahans,” he said.
Chan said once the application was formally submitted, it should be assessed objectively based on established requirements rather than political pressure from either side.
He suggested that, where necessary, authorities set transparent conditions covering safety, crowd management and other security requirements.
“Sabah should not have to choose between protecting religious freedom and public security. We can protect both,” he said.
Chan also warned against importing increasingly divisive religious and political discourse from elsewhere into Sabah.
He said the state’s religious diversity was not a weakness but one of its greatest strengths and should be preserved.
