PETALING JAYA: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, better known as the Mormon Church, has officially denied that its volunteers have proselytised Muslims in Malaysia.
In a statement today, it took issue with the “harmful misrepresentation of our young volunteers” featured in a FMT article yesterday.
“In response to recent media misrepresentations of its young volunteers preaching to Muslims, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints clarifies that its young volunteers did not and have not at any time proselytised Muslims.
“The Church reiterates its foundational doctrine of ‘obeying, honouring and sustaining the law’.
“With its presence of over 50 years in Malaysia, the Church, its local members and volunteers continue to uphold the laws of the land and maintain a respectful and peaceful approach in the spirit of religious harmony and unity,” said spokesperson Lee Poh Peng.
In early January, FMT reported that two foreigners were confronted by a member of the public after allegedly distributing leaflets on Christianity at Desa Setapak.
Police launched an investigation and were reportedly tracking the duo down.
In the FMT report yesterday, an interfaith group urged the authorities to take stern action on another pair of foreigners who allegedly went door to door at a block of People’s Housing Programme flats to propagate their faith to Muslims.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism said if the allegations were true, the pair should be deported and banned from returning to Malaysia.
MCCBCHST president Tan Hoe Chieow said this was the second case in the span of about two months involving foreigners propagating their faith in public.
However, Wangsa Maju police chief Lazim Ismail said no police report had been filed on the matter.
Neither news report made any mention of the foreigners’ religion.