KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6 — Three DAP assemblymen were premature in calling for changes to the Selangor enactment at the centre of the worsening “Allah” row in the state, according to Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The de facto head of PKR told Malay daily Sinar Harian yesterday that the trio should not have responded in the same hurried manner that Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) had taken in raiding a Christian bookstore last week over the use of the Arabic word.
“I disagree with the DAP assemblymen’s motion; while we disagree with hasty (Jais’) action, we must not issue views is the same way.
“Don’t rush towards seeking amendments, there are proper channels, we must discuss... it is a Pakatan Rakyat state government,” he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
Following last week’s shocking raid by Jais on the Bible Society Malaysia (BSM), Damansara assemblyman Yeo Bee Yin, Bukit Gasing representative Rajiv Rishyakaran and Lau Weng San of Kampung Tunku banded together on Friday in a bid to amend the state law at the centre of the controversial action.
Criticising the so-called enforcement by Jais and police on Thursday as reckless and unprecedented, the DAP trio called the raid a wake-up call to address the 1988 state law barring “Allah” and 34 other words to non-Muslims.
The Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988, passed by the then Barisan Nasional state government, prohibits non-Muslims in Selangor from using 35 Arabic words and phrases in their faith, including “Allah”, “Nabi” (prophet), “Injil” (gospel) and “Insya’Allah” (God willing).
It was used by Jais on Thursday when it dispatched a team of 20 religious officials and police officers to raid the BSM office in Petaling Jaya where it seized over 300 copies of the AlKitab and Bup Kudus; three top BSM officials were also detained in the raid.
Yesterday, Anwar also criticised Jais for its decision, saying the department should have met with BSM officials over its concerns instead of resorting to the contentious raid.
“There is no need for such action that will trigger reactions and religious strife,” he was quoted as saying earlier in the report.
Temperatures have risen of late over the so-called “Allah” row that remains unresolved four years after it shocked the nation and led to the worst religious strife in the country’s history.
The ongoing legal dispute between the government and the Catholic Church over its right to print the word “Allah” in the Herald’s Bahasa Malaysia section is still pending before the Federal Court, which is set to hear arguments from both sides on February 24 before deciding on whether it will hear an appeal by the Catholic Church.
