The Sabah government upholds religious freedom and views seriously any issue that could jeopardise peace and harmony among the people of different faiths in the state.

To this end, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman hoped the National Registration Department (NRD) would immediately rectify existing weaknesses in the issuance of MyKad, such as inadvertent insertion of ''Islam'' in the identification documents of non-Muslims.

He also wants a full report from the NRD on the extent of the problem in Sabah and the measures to be put in place to prevent a repeat of such errors.

"This looks like an administrative problem. Nonetheless, I want the problem to be rectified in a speedy manner by the relevant authorities," he said in a statement here today, in reference to a recent claim on the issue by Sabah Borneo Evangelical Church (SIB) president Datuk Jerry Dusing.

Musa said while there were weaknesses in the NRD, the issue at hand should not be blown out of proportion.

"Certain quarters should not be so quick to state that the government has allowed religious radicalism to go unchecked far too long, supports religious intolerance and corruption as well as criminal activities like abduction," he said.

He said it was highly irresponsible to make such public accusations especially when it came from religious quarters, adding that it could fan religious sentiments among the diverse communities that practise different religions in the county and state.

"Let me make this clear that there is no room for religious or racial intolerance in Sabah. We are a multi racial and multi religious state whereby the people live in peace and harmony," he said.

He also said the state government gave millions to churches and mission schools as well as Chinese vernacular schools and temples.

"Please be more sensitive in making statements especially in such an ethnically and religiously diverse state like Sabah," he said.

-- BERNAMA