KUALA LUMPUR (July 5): Former inspector general of police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan said that he had not seen any confidential documents in the course of his duties to suggest that Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh was trying to “evangelise” and turn the nation into a Christian one.

Yeoh’s lawyer, Razlan Hadri Zulkifli, who was questioning Musa during the defamation trial brought by Yeoh against Musa at the High Court here, had asked Musa about the documents.

This after Musa had said that Yeoh had “most likely” endeavoured to spread Christianity and make Malaysia a Christian country, despite not seeing any private documentary evidence during his tenure as IGP.

Razlan: You said Hannah Yeoh most likely wanted to make this country a Christian country… I ask you, as IGP, were there documents given to you that Hannah Yeoh was involved in the Christianisation of people? 

Musa: I haven’t seen documents, but there were police reports.

Razlan: I was asking about private documents, not police reports.

Musa: No, there was not.

Under questioning from Razlan before Judicial Commissioner Arziah Mohamed Apandi, Musa said that he arrived at his conclusion having seen videos of DAP party members, including Yeoh, trying to “provoke” Muslims.

Razlan: In those videos, was Hannah Yeoh involved in trying to make Malaysia a Christian nation?

Musa: I didn’t say that, I said there is provocation towards the Muslims.

Razlan then asked him about comments he made about Yeoh trying to evangelise the country.

Razlan: You say Hannah Yeoh likely tried to evangelise the country.

Musa: I said likely she is doing this because it is on video.

Razlan: You know Tan Sri, if you give that kind of statement saying ‘likely’ she did it, it is very dangerous.

Musa: Yes, it is likely to happen so it's a national threat. I have seen that as a minister she had implemented this “let’s go to gereja” programme.

He elaborated that Yeoh herself had admitted that she was an “evangelist”. He then outlined that the word “evangelist”, according to the Cambridge English dictionary, means “a person who tries to persuade people to become Christians, often by travelling and organising religious meetings.”

“She herself has admitted to being an evangelist. While she claims that it is a joke she had made, it does not take away from the fact that she is an evangelist,” Musa said.

On July 3, 2020, Yeoh filed the defamation lawsuit against Musa, over his remarks as a speaker at a forum held at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

Yeoh claimed that in the speech, Musa had, among other things, accused her of writing a book to turn the country into a Christian nation.

She said that Musa’s remarks were defamatory and malicious as they were untrue and premeditated and made in bad faith to tarnish her reputation, and also intended to harm her politically.

Yeoh is seeking compensation in the form of general damages, aggravated damages, exemplary damages, as well as an injunction to stop Musa from saying or publishing the defamatory remarks or similar words against her.

The trial continues on July 25.