Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dec 19, 2011 / 16:06 pm
Christians from two churches in Malaysia rejected a requirement that they will need a police permit to sing Christmas carols in their parishes or homes.
Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing, head of the Malaysian bishops' conference, told Vatican-based Fides news that the country will soon be in “a police state” if authorities continue demanding such “bureaucratic requirements.”
Two churches in Klang outside the city of Kuala Lumpur recently received notices from police asking for the names and addresses of people who were singing Christmas carols, claiming that a government mandated permit was required for those wishing to sing carols in their homes or churches.
Father Andrew Lawrence, head of the diocesan “Herald” newspaper, called the police action “a strict interpretation” of current regulations on “worship and freedom of religion” in the country.