Proper management of ‘Allah’ use will avoid misinterpretation, says ex-Sabah chief minister

KOTA KINABALU, March 16 — Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal believes proper management with sensitivity in using the word “Allah” will go a long way to prevent potential misuse and misinterpretation in multireligious Malaysia.

He said the word “Allah” is universally understood as the Arabic word for God and should not be exclusive to Muslims.

“In Islam, we believe that Allah is the God for all people, so why should it be exclusive to only one group?” he said in a Facebook Live session last night.

The former Sabah chief minister said the federal Cabinet during his time had discussed the matter, in the presence of Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, who eventually became Malaysia’s first ambassador to the Vatican City.

“If we believe that God is the Almighty for all beings, then why are we not confident in others using the term?

“If there are potential abuses, that’s where we have to manage it. As an example, you let people own guns, but not to shoot others. You allow people to own knives to cut meat, not to injure another. You do not take their guns or knives away,” he said.

Shafie said in a situation as delicate as religion, the key is to manage the potential abuse and confusion.

“For instance, we don’t allow Muslims to pray in church, so do not name your church Allah, to prevent confusion. Manage the use and potential misinterpretation. That is the way to go about it,” he said.

“We need to have high tolerance and understand each other, not go for the extreme, that is divisive and bad for unity,” he said.

On March 10, the High Court ruled that the federal government directive in a December 5, 1986 circular issued by the Home Ministry’s publications control division was unlawful and unconstitutional.

The controversial decision meant that after decades, Christian Malaysians could use the word “Allah” to refer to their God.

The ruling was for Sarawakian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill’s legal challenge against the government’s seizure of her eight educational compact discs containing the word “Allah” in their titles and which were meant for her personal use.

The word “Allah” is Arabic for God and has been adopted into the Malay language. It has been used for generations by Malay-speaking Christians in the country, especially those in Sabah and Sarawak.

The federal government has filed an appeal against the High Court decision.