Of Shoplot Churches & Nurtured Lassie Wannabes

I am upset with my family dog of late. He seemed to have return to his bad habits of biting our shoes. Grrr... Can't he understand we need those shoes to walk about? We don't have paws like him. To make matters worse, instead of learning the good things like every golden retriever should i.e. listen to command, lead the blind to cross the street and such; he has self learned how to open the shoes cabinet to access to our shoes!

Don't be fooled by his handshake antics and innocent face, he is only there for biscuit treats. Hey wait, isn't Lassie wannabes just the same making their rounds shaking hands and hoping for vote treats?

Anyway, as I browse through the Malaysia Today website, I came across this article published by the Sun, Shop House Churches Must Get Permits. Being intrigued and concerned, I proceed to read it. Lo and behold! It appears that MPSJ has drafted a local plan requiring churches operating out of shoplots and industrial lots to APPLY for permits! And it costs RM1,000 per annum to obtain such permits. Now, I am not trying to give excuses but seriously, pastors and church elders more often than not are tied up with ministries. If they don't have time to run through the local plan, it is not surprising. So, Ms Teresa Kok, the 2 term elected former Seputeh MP (surprise, surprise!), being a good sister in Christ herself and perhaps have a good understanding of what commitment to one's ministry entails, made an effort to go outside her constituency to file an objection to this plan.

And what do we read instead? A Lassie lookalike complaining that Ms Teresa Kok twisted the facts. According to Datuk Lee, who himself apparently a follower of Christ, he said:

“We have not asked them to close down, but to submit their application for permits,” said Lee, adding that such churches have to get a permit to operate from business premises.

If the former Subang Jaya MP is reading this, can you tell me if a church decides to operate without a permit unknowingly, is it legal?

If it is a NO to that, then my next questions are:

If the same church then apply for it, will it get the permit automatically with no questions asked? Also, will the same church get it renewed on yearly basis with no questions asked?

If there are no immediate YES answers to both the questions, one would have no choice but to take it that these churches are at risk of being shut down. Christians in MPSJ jurisdiction should tremble with fear, given the way Little Napoleans with a bit of religious fervour work; one can say good bye to all these churches.

Stop eyeing the biscuit! Darn it!

Asked if this was the same requirement imposed on mosques, suraus and temples, Lee said: "If they are on their own land then there is no need for them to apply for the permits for their religious houses, but in the cases of the churches, they need to apply for the permits because they are operating from out of the shoplots in business centres and factory lots in industrial areas."

We acknowledge that the church is not the building which houses our families in Christ when we go there every Sunday to worship but if we can afford it and we have Articles 10 and 11 of the Federal Constitution, why can't we worship peacefully from shoplots and industrial lots purchased with our collective funds?

First they went after our dogs lovers with nonsensical licensing requirements, now our houses of worship with annual permit requirements. What next? Pork? Wait... Isn't that what they did in Malacca when they forced pig farmers to move their pigs out of that state?

I know who I am voting for on 8th of March, not for some nurtured Lassie wannabe in action, that's for sure.