However, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department told The Malaysian Insider that the 30,000 Alkitab in Kuching could be released immediately as there was no enactment in Sarawak against the use of the term “Allah” in non-Muslim publications.
“This is because in Selangor and other states in the peninsula besides Penang and the federal territories, there is still an enactment that prohibits the use of Allah by non-Muslims,” the de facto law minister said.
The ten remaining states currently enforce the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religions Enactment, which restricts the use either verbally, or in print, of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims.
The Najib administration yesterday ordered the Malay-language bibles seized in Port Klang to be handed over to its importers, the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM). Another 30,000 copies currently impounded at the Kuching port were also ordered released.
“Therefore, it has no effect on Sarawak,” Nazri said of the case that is still pending in the Court of Appeal to overturn a High Court decision allowing the Catholic Church to use “Allah” to refer to God in the Bahasa Malaysia edition of its weekly, The Herald.
Today, Nazri said that the Cabinet will only decide on Friday on how to deal with the 5,100 Malay-language bibles in Port Klang as “we would be breaking the law if we do it now.”
He also disputed claims that the AG’s appeal should be dropped as there is no difference between the use of Allah in bibles or other publications.
“The case is for all publications — including bibles — that’s why we cannot allow the bibles to be circulated in Selangor,” he said.
However, Nazri said that there was a possibility that the bibles could be handed over if they were only “in transit” from Klang to areas where they were not illegal.
The BSM, which has been waiting two years to collect its shipment of 5,100 books stuck at Port Klang, had implied that they would not believe the release order to be real until they receive the Alkitab directly into their hands.
The Najib administration had made the order yesterday, bowing to pressure from Christian churches and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) politicians.
The Cabinet was set to discuss the issue on Friday but with the seizure of the bibles drawing protests from Christians nationwide, a majority of whom live in Sabah and Sarawak, the federal government was forced to take action ahead of Sarawak polls set to take place next month.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia, which represents 90 per cent of churches in Malaysia, has said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak made a decision to release the Alkitabs but so far, the home ministry, which controls customs, has refused to hand over the bibles.
But evangelist churches there, such as Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB), have crossed the South China Sea to preach to the growing number of Sarawakians and Sabahans who are settling down in the peninsula after furthering their studies or finding work here.
Yesterday, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala, a Sarawakian Christian, said the government had decided on the release of the Alkitab in line with a 1982 gazette under the Internal Security Act which allows its limited and controlled importation and circulation on condition that the books are stamped: “For Christians Only.”
“Since 1982, with this gazette, there have been no problems in its implementation. As such, taking into account this fact, the government has decided to apply the 1982 gazette and release the bibles accordingly,” the statement said.
Jala said that after a careful and thorough review, the Attorney-General confirmed that the release of the bibles did not prejudice the ongoing court case of the “Allah” issue.
The minister also noted that the Sarawak government categorically expressed its view that the impounded bibles should be released. - Malaysian Insider
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