KUCHING, March 17 — The Sarawak government has never changed its stand on religious freedom and supports the use of the word “Allah” for God by Christians in the state, lawmakers from the ruling coalition asserted today.
The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) Backbenchers Club was replying to Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh who claimed the state government had been silent on the issue and needed to speak up and safeguard the constitutional rights of Sarawakians at the national level.
“We want to make clear that the state government has been vocal and consistent on its position pertaining to unity and religious freedom all this while as well as on the recent High Court’s ruling,” the GPS backbenchers said in a statement.
It said this has been evident through various statements made by GPS leaders in their reactions to the use of the word in the past week as well as in the past when the late Tan Sri Adenan Satem was Sarawak chief minister.
“Perhaps if Parti Sarawak Bersatu president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh would read the news in full in the past week, he would get the full and exact picture of the position taken by GPS,” it said.
It pointed out that Wong was fully aware of the state government’s stand on the “Allah” issue as he had been part of the Sarawak Cabinet previously.
“What he is doing is politicising the issue, using it to gain political mileage,” the GPS backbenchers said.
It reiterated that the GPS government will continue Adenan’s efforts upholding religious freedom including the right for Christians to use the word “Allah” in their publications, churches and prayers.
“This was echoed by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg who has time and time again spoke on the issue and condemned bigots, assuring that these groups have no place in Sarawak,” the GPS club said.
It also said the Sarawak government has practised what it preaches about religious tolerance and inclusiveness as can be seen in the establishment of the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) under the Chief Minister’s Department.
“Through Unifor, the only unit of its kind in Malaysia, numerous assistance have been rendered to religious groups in terms of grants for their activities and for the construction or repair of houses of worships,” the GPS club said.
In his statement yesterday, Wong urged the Sarawak government to speak up on the decision of the federal government to appeal a High Court’s judgment to quash the ban on the use of the word “Allah” by the Christians in their publications.
He expressed his concern that GPS has decided to remain stoically silent and passive on such a critical matter.
Wong said the failure by Putrajaya to respect Sarawak’s constitutional right is a fundamental problem today.
“It represents a continuing failure of the administration, where lip-service, not moral leadership, is the order of the day,” he said.
In a landmark judgment on March 10, the High Court ruled that Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, a Sarawakian Bumiputera Christian from the Melanau tribe, has a constitutional right to own books and compact discs that used the word “Allah” for God. — Reuters
