Jakim ‘no’ to East Malaysians using “Allah’
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government’s highest Islamic body will not allow the use of the word “Allah” by Christians in East Malaysia.
JAKIM has rejected the suggestion by Minister in the Prime Minister’s department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s statement reported in the Borneo Post that Christians in Sabah and Sarawak can continue to use the term while maintaining its ban in the peninsula.
The MalaysianInsider quoted JAKIM director-general Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz as saying that “there should not be two sets of laws and rules to deal with the “Allah” issue.”
Wan Mohamad called on everyone to respect the decision of the Cabinet.
“We must be more systematic…there cannot be two sets of laws. There are decisions made at national level by the Cabinet.” he said.
Wan Mohamad said the Cabinet, under former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had decided on May 16 1986 that the word “Allah” could not be used by non-muslims.
The term, along with few other words, was gazetted as exclusive to Muslims in a government circular dated Dec 5 1986. Subsequent cabinet meetings in 2006 and later in 2008 reaffirmed the Cabinet decision on Jan 3 2008.
The “Allah” controversy began in 2007 after then Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Syed Albar banned the use of the term among Christians. The Home Ministry refuse to publication permit of the Catholic weekly, Herald.
The Catholic church took the matter to court and on Dec 31 last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled in favour of the Herald. The Federal Government immediately obtained a stay order from the same court.
JAKIM has rejected the suggestion by Minister in the Prime Minister’s department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s statement reported in the Borneo Post that Christians in Sabah and Sarawak can continue to use the term while maintaining its ban in the peninsula.
The MalaysianInsider quoted JAKIM director-general Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz as saying that “there should not be two sets of laws and rules to deal with the “Allah” issue.”
Wan Mohamad called on everyone to respect the decision of the Cabinet.
“We must be more systematic…there cannot be two sets of laws. There are decisions made at national level by the Cabinet.” he said.
Wan Mohamad said the Cabinet, under former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had decided on May 16 1986 that the word “Allah” could not be used by non-muslims.
The term, along with few other words, was gazetted as exclusive to Muslims in a government circular dated Dec 5 1986. Subsequent cabinet meetings in 2006 and later in 2008 reaffirmed the Cabinet decision on Jan 3 2008.
The “Allah” controversy began in 2007 after then Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Syed Albar banned the use of the term among Christians. The Home Ministry refuse to publication permit of the Catholic weekly, Herald.
The Catholic church took the matter to court and on Dec 31 last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled in favour of the Herald. The Federal Government immediately obtained a stay order from the same court.
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