KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim will meet officials from both the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) next week to address state religious authorities’ refusal to release bible seized from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM).
The Selangor mentri besar said he has asked the Selangor state secretary to call for a special meeting, which is to be attended by the state mufti Datuk Mohd Tamyes Abd Wahid, state executive councillor in charge of Islamic affairs Sallehen Mukhyi, state legal advisor Datuk Nik Suhaimi Nik Sulaiman as well as representatives from Mais and Jais.
“The state government will try to reach a joint consensus before seeking an audience with the Selangor Sultan for a final decision,” Khalid said in a statement to The Malay Mail Online.
Mais and Jais are now seeking a court ruling which will enable them to dispose over 300 bibles seized from the Bible Society Malaysia (BSM) on January 2.
Early today Mais said that they will not return the bibles, claiming that the Attorney-General has erred by deciding not to pursue charges in the case.
Mais has reiterated that Jais, which comes under the council’s purview, will not adhere to the directive issued by the Selangor state government because the state had “no power” in the matter.
Mais insisted that there are grounds to “prosecute” BSM under the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988.
“We are well aware of the actions and efforts of some irresponsible parties who sully Islam by abusing phrases or names which are based on the Al-Quran in order to make it easier to proselytise to Muslims,” said the statement signed by Mais chairman Datuk Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa.
“Mais and Jais as enforcers are responsible in safeguarding the sanctity of Islam especially in Selangor,” the statement added.
Using a Selangor state law that prohibits non-Muslims from using “Allah” to refer to God, Jais raided the premises of the Bible Society of Malaysia on January 2, seizing over 300 copies of the Malay-language and Iban-language bibles which used the word.
On Wednesday, Malaysia’s Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said there will be no charges in the case.
BSM said in April it will move its headquarters to the federal government-ruled Kuala Lumpur to get “better protection” and avoid future bible seizures by religious authorities.
BSM also said it will also stop importing bibles through Selangor’s Port Klang.
It said it will send the bibles through Penang or directly to east Malaysia where most of its Christian readers of the Malay-language bibles live.
The continuing saga has heightened concerns that religious authorities, which issue rulings for Muslims and operate alongside conventional courts, now have more legal muscle.
