7/28/2019 Kedahs Allah ban against cabinet decision

1/3

1

Kedahs Allah ban againstcabinet decisionPosted on 23 July 2013 - 08:21am

Michelle Chunnewsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA (July 22, 2013): Kedah's decision to ban the use of the word"Allah" in non-Muslim holy books contradicts the 2011 cabinet decision allowingBibles of all languages to be used in the country, former Malaysian Bar presidentDatuk Param Cumaraswamy (pix) said today.

The former United Nations special rapporteur on the independence of lawyers andjudges claimed the action by Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir amountedto non-compliance of the cabinet's 10-point solution to addressing the BahasaMalaysia/Indonesia Bible and other related issues.

"The action taken by the Kedah mentri besar to ban the use of the word 'Allah' in thestate in non-Muslim holy books last week smacks at the 2011 cabinet decision.

"The decision was made following the impounding of the translated Bibles in Kuchingand Port Klang two years earlier by the authorities for the use of the word 'Allah' inthe translated versions," he told theSun today.

The cabinet's decision on April 2, 2011 was documented in a letter addressed to theChristian Federation of Malaysia chairman Bishop Ng Moon Hing and signed byPrime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.

In the letter, Najib had said taking into account the polarity of views of the differentreligious groups and following discussions with Christian groups, the governmenthad decided on the 10-point solution.

"I wish to confirm that this is a collective decision by the cabinet," he had said.

The two-page document listed, among others, that Bibles in all languages can beimported into the country and printed locally in both Peninsular and East Malaysiawith no conditions attached, except that Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia or BahasaIndonesia must have the words "Christian Publication" and the cross sign printed onthe front covers.

Cumaraswamy said the government also issued a directive through the HomeMinistry secretary-general to all government departments for proper implementationof the decision, "obviously meaning uniform implementation of the decision withsanctions of disciplinary action for non-compliance".

"In the light of such a decision and direction, it appears that Mukhriz should be calledupon by the federal government to show cause for non-compliance of the federaldecision."

7/28/2019 Kedahs Allah ban against cabinet decision

2/3

2

"It was just not a premature move on the mentri besar's part while the issue ispending before the Court of Appeal, but he seems to have defied the cabinetdecision on the matter, by imposing a blanket ban.

"Does that mean even those translated Bibles impounded and released in 2011cannot be used in Kedah?" he asked, as the Bibles impounded then had been

released free of charge.

Kedah govt forbids use ofword 'Allah' by non-MuslimsPosted on 16 July 2013 - 04:55pm

Menteri Besar Kedah, Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir at the Pusat Transformasi Bandar (UTC)Kedah, July 15, 2013. BERNAMA

JITRA (July 16, 2013): The Kedah government today stressed that it did not allowthe word "Allah" to be used by non-Muslims in their holy books.

Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir in stating the state government's stand, alsowarned that stern action would be taken against those involved "as they areinsensitive to the majority of the country's population who are Muslims".

"The state government will not compromise on the misuse of the 'kalimah Allah' bynon-Muslims," he said after handing out contributions to 372 volunteer Quranteachers, village midwives and mudin from the Kubang Pasu district at the WangTepus Mosque, near here, yesterday evening.

7/28/2019 Kedahs Allah ban against cabinet decision

3/3

3

Mukhriz stressed that the word "Allah" was only for Muslims and its meaning in Islamcould not be otherwise to mean god in general, and what more as "lord", whichmeans master in the Malay language.

He viewed non-Muslims bent on using the word "Allah" in the Malay languageversion of the Bible as not having good intentions towards Muslims, besides trying to

confuse young Muslims.

"We cannot accept their excuses because hidden behind those excuses is the aim ofturning Muslims into disbelievers of the religion," said Mukhriz, who also remindedMuslims to give a clear message to outsiders who were supporting the use of the"kalimah Allah" in the Malay language version of the Bible.

Recently, the Vatican City's envoy, Bishop Joseph Marino made a statement insupport of the move by non-Muslims which many quarters deemed inappropriate.Mukhrz also wanted Muslims to send a clear message that they did not tolerateindividuals who mocked the holy month of Ramadan, which was done deliberately.

"In a multiracial and multireligious country, we cannot be playing around with thereligion of others as religion is a sensitive issue.

"Who indoctrinated them to the extent that they were willing to mock Ramadan,especiallly in a Muslim-majority country? I don't understand how this could havehappened," he said in reference to a couple, Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee, who mockedMuslims and Ramadan in their Facebook page.

The two have been hauled up by the Malaysian Communications and MultimediaCommission to give their statement. Mukhriz urged that stern action be taken againstthe offending couple as a deterrent for them and others. Bernama