Kota Kinabalu: Former Foreign Minister Tan Sri Anifah Aman became the latest Sabah Muslim leader to support allowing a Christian gospel singer hold his concert in the state this month.
The Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) President said there is a clear double standard in protesting Israel Houghton’s proposed concert, insisting Sabah must not let peninsula-style religious division take root here.
Anifah expressed bewilderment that police reports have been filed against a gospel concert staged by Christians and meant for Christians, which poses no threat to other faiths.
“Sabah has always been the land where tolerance is of utmost importance. Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and all religions live harmoniously together. Seeing opposition to a Christian concert… is truly baffling,” Anifah said.
He noted that a heavy metal band that openly supported Israel performed in Bukit Jalil just last month but faced no such backlash.
“Why the double standard? Has religious intolerance begun to creep into our society?”Anifah recalled the long-standing fair approach and individuals with pro-Israel views may enter Malaysia if they respect local laws, avoid provocation and do not fly Israeli symbols. “That same standard must apply here.
“Israel Houghton is not proselytising to Muslims. The event is clearly for Christians only. We never had a problem before. We should not invent one now.”“Do not bring the religious politics of intolerance into Sabah.” Two former Muslim Chief Ministers – Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Datuk Salleh Said Keruak also questioned the move to disallow the concert.
Meanwhile, Star Sabah President Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey G. Kitingan fully backed Anifah, invoking the sacred Batu Sumpah Keningau pledge — “Freedom of Religion in Sabah” — as a binding promise that must be honoured in practice, not just words.
Nominated Assemblyman Datuk Ir Chin Shu Ying said the issue should be handled based on the rule of law and established procedures rather than pressure from extremist or intolerant groups.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Sec-Gen. said if the organiser had complied with all relevant laws, regulations and application procedures, the proposed performance should be assessed objectively and fairly by the authorities.
Chin said Sabah, with its multicultural and multireligious population, had long upheld inclusiveness, mutual respect and religious harmony, which he described as among the state’s greatest strengths.
He said the state government should play a proactive role in facilitating dialogue among the relevant authorities, organisers and stakeholders to resolve the matter through proper channels.
“Any decision should be guided by due process, public interest, and respect for the rights guaranteed under our legal framework,” he said.
Chin also cautioned against allowing extremism, intolerance or narrow-minded views to undermine the unity and mutual respect that Sabahans had nurtured over generations.
He said the views of younger Sabahans should also be taken seriously, noting that they aspired to live in a society that embraced diversity, inclusiveness and mutual understanding.
“Our youths want to see a Sabah where people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds can live together in peace and harmony. They reject division and intolerance, and instead value unity, respect and coexistence,” he said.
Luyang Assemblyman Samuel Wong also pushed for clear, consistent standards over political or religious pressure in reviewing the proposed Israel Houghton & New Breed concert.
Samuel stressed that objections should never become a blanket veto against a lawful religious gathering.
“I respect the role of police in assessing security concerns. If there are specific risks or legal requirements that need to be addressed, they should be properly assessed and dealt with,” he said in a statement.
“But there must be a clear and consistent process for events of this nature and not one rule for one group and a different, stricter rule for another.”Samuel said Sabah urgently needs formal, published guidelines for large-scale religious and worship events and covering approval procedures, venue standards, security arrangements and crowd management — so organisers know exactly what is expected from day one.
“We can also draw lessons from previous large-scale Christian worship events that ran smoothly with proper arrangements in place,” he said.
“Freedom of religion is a fundamental right — the rights we claim for ourselves we must also extend to others.”
