News from Home, World and the Vatican

We were informed a short while ago by Rani that Dr. Jeyakumar – PSM Central Committee Member and MP for Sungai Siput has since this morning commenced on a hunger strike to seek for the immediate release of all 6 EO detainees.

We cannot confirm if he is indeed on hunger strike but his wife did try to persuade him yesterday not to go on with it due to his health condition. Read more »

“Somebody in authority with conscience, please release PSM-6”, that was the cry of Datuk Dr. Ambiga Sreenvasan at the candle light vigil held last night at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, which was greeted by loud cheers from the congregating crowd that included several members of the CLS.

Those gathered came in support for the release of Dr. Michael Jeyakumar, M Saraswathy, Choo Chon Kai, M Sukumaran, A Letchumanan and Sarat Babu. Read more »

The trial of Fr. Paulino Miranda and 20 others resumed on July 25, 2011. The prosecution called ASP Ravi as its witness. ASP Ravi gave evidence that he led a team of 13 arresting officers.

During cross examination he admitted that he did not personally arrest anyone nor could he specify the place of arrest of some of the accused. Read more »

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I write this letter upon my return from meeting the Holy Father, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and the Secretary of State of the Holy See, His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone. His Holiness sends his apostolic blessings to all Catholics in Malaysia.

A Historical Moment for the Church in Malaysia
The recent visit of the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and a Malaysian delegation to the Holy See follows the decision of the Government of Malaysia to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See. Read more »

The name, Kazimierz Swiatek, may not ring a bell to many. But Pope John Paul II described him as “the Way of the Cross of persecution, carrying the cross of prison, of unjust condemnation and of the labour camps with their burden of toil, cold and hunger”

Cardinal Kazimierz Swiatek of Minsk-Mohilev, Belarus, died recently at the age of 96. He had led a memorable life filled with tribulations. Read more »

The use of "Allah" for God by Christians must stop because it may cause Islamic anger: this is the position of a prominent Islamic Malaysian Mohd Sani Badron in a speech yesterday at the Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikimono) reopening the dispute over the Bible translation of the vernacular term to refer to God.

The Islamic scholar’s attack comes only a few days after the historic meeting between Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Pope Benedict XVI, a first step toward diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the Holy See. Read more »

Petitions calling for action to protect Christians and other minorities in Pakistan have been handed in at 10 Downing Street.

The documents, bearing the names of more than 6,000 people, were presented at Number 10 by an ecumenical delegation that included Neville Kyrke-Smith, director of Aid to the Church in Need UK, the Catholic charity for persecuted and other suffering Christians. Read more »