A Better Tomor row
cover story
Social activist and pastor Reverend Sivin Kit believes that Christians have a
vital part to play in promoting justice and equality in Malaysia. B J
everend Sivin Kit,
38, was busy when
Asian Beacon caught
up with him at the
International Institute
of Advanced Islamic
Studies (IAIS) at
Universiti Malaya
— not quite the place
you’d normally expect to find a Christian
leader. Kit was there with press officer
Freddy Dutz from Churches
& Missions in Germany to
interview a professor at the
academy as part of interfaith
discussions.
The pastor cum blogger
and social activist also recently
took part in an interfaith forum
“Religion and the Common
Good”, organised by IAIS and
the Malaysian Social Research
Institute; went on air in BFM
radio’s The Incident Room
programme, alongside MP
Nurul Izzah Anwar and writer
Amir Muhammad; and shared
his social media stories at
the latest Pecha Kucha Night
(PKN) in KL, a global design
networking event.
Together with the Muslim
Professionals Forum and
Friends in Conversation, Kit
co-organised “People Like Us”,
a forum in which Muslims and
non-Muslims gathered at his
church to engage each other in dialogue.
In early 2009, he delivered a solidarity
speech and prayer for the children affected
by the Israeli air-strike on Palestine, at
the invitation of Pertubuhan Jamaah Islah
Malaysia .
As is evident, social advocacy and
respectful engagements with people of
16 a s i a n b e a c o
T Y O
other faiths are Kit’s passion. He believes
that God’s love needs to be felt and seen
by the community we live and work in and
that Christians need to engage in public
discourse to reach out to the world.
Young impressions
Raised in a Christian family in Setapak,
Kuala Lumpur, Kit spent several years in
England, where his father was studying. He
returned to Malaysia when he was 9 and
Kit and his family
enrolled in a Chinese-medium primary
school. He later attended three different
secondary schools, helping to start a
Christian Fellowship at each school.
When he was in Form 3, Kit was one of
five non-Muslims in a class of 35. One day,
a Muslim classmate tried to convert him
with literature that debunked the Christian
n a
y u st i n oi
faith. “This chap was talking down to me,
but some of my Muslim friends, who
disagreed with his overzealous method,
spoke up for my freedom of faith,” says Kit.
“That was quite admirable of them.” That
experience impressed upon Kit the value
of respectful engagement while holding
firm to one’s faith. “When your Christian
beliefs are challenged, it actually helps you
to re-examine your faith. It forces you to
understand your faith better and grow.”
As a young pastor at Bangsar
Lutheran Church, Kuala Lumpur,
Kit had several congregation
members who were passionate
about human rights. “One of
them was with Tenaganita, an
NGO that protects the rights of
women and migrants,” he says.
“She actually helped to rescue
women from human traffickers
and pimps. I was blown away.”
This forced Kit to ask
himself: “How can I support
these members as their pastor in
practical ways?” He joked that,
in the early days, he attended
anti-ISA vigils just to make sure
that his church members were
safe. Today, he is more likely to
be in the forefront of the action
when it comes to pressing public
matters.
Some of the people who have
inspired and spurred him on in
the fight for social justice are
the many social activists with
whom he has worked, as well as Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who was
executed for his efforts against the Nazis.
“I’m very grateful for church members
who constantly pray for me,” Kit adds. “I
thank the church leaders and my Bishop
for supporting my role as a pastor and my
engagement in civil advocacy.”
Called to speak up
Historically, churches in Malaysia had been
active in the social welfare, healthcare and
education arenas, but were mostly low-key
when it came to civil rights, although that
is slowly changing in recent years. “Firstly,
circumstances have forced us to take a
stand, such as the Lina Joy case, the ‘Allah’
issue, the church arson cases and also the
rights of non-Muslims in Malaysia,” Kit
notes. “Secondly, there’s been a change of
social climate affecting Christian and non-
Christian Malaysians alike. The increasing
use of alternative media plus the maturing
of Malaysian society has fuelled greater
demand for transparency and human
rights.”
Over the past two decades, Kit points
out, various individuals and organisations,
such as Oriental Hearts & Mind Study
Institute (OHMSI), NECF Malaysia’s
R esearch Commission and K airos
Research Centre, have been helping to
raise awareness and educate the church to
put personal faith into action in matters of
public interest.
“We must acknowledge that caring for
the underprivileged is still an important
role of Malaysian churches,” says Kit. “At
the same time, loving our neighbours also
means tackling wider systemic problems
with in-depth solutions and speaking up
when necessary.”
These principles, he says, closely mirror
God’s heart, because Deuteronomy 10:18
states, “He [God] ensures that orphans and
widows receive justice. He shows love to the
foreigners living among you and gives them
food and clothing.” God also sent prophets
such as Elijah, Jeremiah and Micah, who
called on fellow citizens and leaders to act
justly and show mercy to the weak.
In modern times, many Christian
leaders have risen up to champion social
justice, such as Rev Dr Martin Luther King,
who spearheaded the civil rights movement
in the US; Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
who helped dismantle apartheid in South
Africa; and churches in the Philippines,
Kit at a press conference with other NGO representatives
which were instrumental in bringing down
the Marcos regime in the 1980s.
“Yes, we all look forward to eternity.
At the same time, let’s challenge ourselves
too by asking how we can be of some
earthly good to our fellow men during this
lifetime,” says Kit.
Education and awareness
In the wake of the March 8, 2008, political
tsunami in Malaysia, there have been many
developments, such as the political upheaval
in Perak. Many Malaysian Christians were
quick to voice their opinions in online
discussions and through mass SMSes.
Sadly, some of those comments revealed a
lack of understanding and social awareness.
“Christians in Malaysia need a deeper
knowledge of public issues if we are to
impact our society in a meaningful way,”
Kit says.
For this reason, Kit, together with
other like-minded Christians such as
Peter Young, Bob Teoh, Goh Keat Peng
and Ting Moy Hong, initiated The Micah
Mandate (www.themicahmandate.org), a
Christian-based public interest advocacy
blog that aims to transform the nation
through justice, mercy and humility.
Recently, Kit moderated the Q&A
session at the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia
(SABM) dinner lecture with politician
Khairy Jamaluddin. “SABM is a civil society
movement that advocates a greater sense of
‘Malaysian first, before race’,” says Kit. “I’m
encouraged to see Christian participation
in SABM.”
SABM (www.sayaanakbangsamalaysia.
net) was birthed in 2007 as a protest
movement against the Internal Security
Act (ISA) and race-based politics. “Today,
SABM has evolved beyond demonstrations
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to a bigger role of creating civil rights
awareness. It encourages voter registration
and provides a non-partisan way of civil
engagement,” Kit explains.
What can I do?
“The very first thing a Christian should do
for social justice is pray,” Kit says. “Prayer
should not be just a private matter but
also a communal act as a family of God.”
Secondly, Christians need to educate
themselves through dialogue and research
on the issues affecting their community
today. “Then we should read the Bible
afresh and hear what God requires of us
on those issues.”
Thirdly, volunteer. “Support local
community projects,” Kit suggests. “Or you
could help out with specific issues such as
the ‘United Against Child Abuse’ campaign
organised by Unicef.” Christians can also
volunteer as polling and counting agents
to ensure a fair voting process during
elections. It’s not just about activism,
but rather, paying attention to the needs
around us, Kit adds.
“Whatever I do is a natural overflow of
the love that Jesus has given me,” he says.
“As God always looks after our interests, it
only makes sense that His followers speak
up for neighbours who need someone to
stand up for them.”
Rev Sivin Kit has just begun his
sabbatical to pursue his PhD in
“Religion, Ethics and Society”
at the University of Agder,
Kristiansand, in Norway for
three years. Check out his blogs
at www.sivinkit.net and www.
friendsinconversation.org.
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