KUCHING, May 18 ― The Home Ministry’s withdrawal of an appeal of a High Court ruling on Sarawakian Christian Jill Ireland’s right to use the term “Allah” is one of good things to come from the unity government, said Dennis Ngau (GPS Telang Usan).
The assemblyman thanked the ministry and the federal government for coming up with the decision.
“This is good. It means they understand us. This is a blessing,” he said when met yesterday.
However, Dennis admitted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s statement on the court’s decision to give Christians the right to use the word ‘Allah’ along with three other Arabic words in their religious publication apply only for Sarawak, was somewhat confusing.
“I hope the decision (to use the word ‘Allah’ in Christians’ religious publication) is meant for all Malaysians.
“We do understand there are many states in the country having Sultans as heads of Islam and I am sure it is their right to protect their religion. This, we respect.
“Perhaps because these people come from Malaya, so they probably follow the sentiment over there. We, in Sarawak, are fortunate that we are on our own and such matter they cannot be disturbed. This is the main thing that Sarawakians must understand and we must wake up to this reality.
“Of course, the very ideal situation in our country is to have complete religious freedom. This is where we, as Christians, must remember that such matter is between you and God, you are the one who are reaching to God and that is what is important,” he added.
The court case stemmed from the Home Ministry’s seizure on May 11, 2008 of Christian religious CDs and books containing the word ‘Allah’ under Section 9 (1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 when Jill disembarked at the then Low-Cost Carrier Terminal in Sepang.
The CDs, containing titles including ‘Cara Menggunakan Kunci Kerajaan Allah’, ‘Cara Hidup Dalam Kerajaan Allah’, and ‘Ibadah Yang Benar Dalam Kerajaan Allah’, were brought from Indonesia.
Jill had sought a declaration that her constitutional rights had been violated.
In 2017, her lawyers had highlighted views from local and international experts that the Arabic word ‘Allah’ for God is not used exclusively by Islam, as the word has been adopted into Malaysia’s national language and has long been used by the local Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christians as shown by Malay translations of Christian publications dating back a few centuries. ― Borneo Post
