NGO Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) today fired back at Archbishop Emeritus Murphy Pakiam for bringing up Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's Catholic school background to back the Church's ‘Allah’ cause.

Defending Najib as a leader with responsibilities, Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman warned the outgoing head of the Catholic Church not to belittle the prime minister for doing his job.

“Pakiam’s statement is rude and insulting. It is an insult to an Islamic leader.

"Pakiam (left, with Najibb in 2011 Christmas function) needs to be clear that as a leader, Najib has the burden to uphold the fight for religion, race and country," Abdullah Zaik said.

During the annual Christmas celebration at his official residence yesterday, Pakiam pointed out to reporters that Najib obtained his early education at St John's Institute, which is located adjacent to the archbishop's official residence.

Pakiam used Najib's experience in school as example of how the Christian community had helped Najib as a boy in a Catholic school and respected his Muslim faith.

Therefore, Pakiam said, he had expected Najib to do the same, that Najib would serve the country and not just work for Umno by insisting that ‘Allah’ was exclusive to Muslims alone.

Pakiam expressed his particular disappointment with Najib's hardline speech on the Allah issue in his Maal Hijrah speech in November.

Abdullah Zaik also claimed that Pakiam's words had a sinister intention to win Najib over to the cause of the Church.