KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — The Christian Federation of Malaysia is taking issue with a caveat by Selangor authorities over the Christian use of “Allah” in the state, nearly a month after state Islamic Council (MAIS) returned Bibles seized in January.

In a statement that departs from the joyful tones that greeted news of the MAIS decision to finally release the Iban and Malay language Bibles seized from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) in January, the CFM today restated the reasons why Christians can, and will continue to, use “Allah” in their worship in Bahasa Malaysia.

It also pointed out that allowing Christians to use “Allah” in Sabah and Sarawak, but not in the peninsula was impractical given the migration of east Malaysians to other parts of the country including Selangor.

“This blanket ban on the use of the Bahasa Malaysia Bibles in the State of Selangor is unrealistic, given that there are thousands of Sabahans and Sarawakians who reside and work in the state of Selangor besides the thousands of West Malaysian Christians who are conversant only in our national language,” it said in the statement.

Barring east Malaysians from using the Arabic word for God in their worship when in Selangor and in other parts of the peninsula is both an injustice and a violation of Article 11 of the Federal Constitution guaranteeing the freedom of religion, it added.

The CFM also pointed to its earlier remarks in October as well as those by the Catholic Church that Christians will still use “Allah” to refer to their God, saying that this has been practised for decades without issue.

It then pressed Putrajaya and the state governments to streamline policies to adhere to the Cabinet’s so-called 10-point solution that allows Sabah and Sarawak Christians to continue using “Allah” without fear of legal action.

CFM’s statement today coincidentally follows news report over the weekend that the Bibles returned to BSM were stamped with a warning that they may not be distributed in Selangor.

The BSM labelled the action as “heinous” and a “desecration” of the holy books, and demanded an apology from MAIS and Selangor.

The Bibles were seized during a raid by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) in January over suspicions of proselytisation and were only returned last month despite the Attorney-General saying months prior that there was no prosecutable offence.

Azmin Ali, who was appointed Selangor mentri besar just three months ago and largely credited for the return of the bibles seized in early January, yesterday urged Christians to let the issue die down.

The Muslim-Christian tussle over the word “Allah” stems from a 2009 High Court decision that upheld the Catholic Church’s right to use the Arabic word in its BM newsletter.

The government was able to successfully appeal the decision while the Federal Court subsequently declined to review the appellate court’s decision on the case.