Allah issue: Should BN vote on it?

While some say voting on the Allah issue goes against the BN consensus spirit, others lauded it as a democratic way to resolve the dispute.

PETALING JAYA: Leaders from Barisan Nasional component parties have given mixed views to a call for the ruling coalition to reach a consensus on the use of the word “Allah” through a balloting in its supreme council.

While some said it goes against the Barisan Nasional spirit of cooperation and consensus if they were to decide on the Allah controversy through a vote, others lauded it as a democratic way to resolve the long-standing dispute.

The suggestion was raised in an FMT commentary at a time when BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor attempted to review the way BN makes a decision by a simple majority method, as opposed to the current consensus method.

If BN uses a simple majority method to decide on the Allah issue, chances are high that 8 of the 13 component parties would vote in favour of allowing the Christians to use the word Allah, as opposed to Umno which does not agree.

MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong however said he is against BN making a decision on this through balloting because it would leave no room for negotiations and would not solve the problem.

He said for example, the Selangor Sultan’s decree which is supposed to bar non-Muslim’s from using the word Allah also did not solve the problem because no consensus between the Muslim and non-Muslim communities was made, beforehand.

“Issues like this must be resolved amicably. It is better for BN to get a consensus,” he said.

Parti Bersatu Sabah secretary-general Johnny Mositun, who voiced his support for the non-Muslim to use Allah last week, said religious issues should be separated from politics.

He said he is not in favour of urging to BN to make a decision on this, rather he preferred to have everybody sit down and discuss the issue.

He said PBS is standing by the government’s 10-point Resolution, which allows Christians in Sabah and Sarawak to use the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible.

Last resort

PPP president M Kayveas, while backing the proposal for BN to put up a vote on the issue, said it remains unknown whether the BN secretary-general is willing to include the issue as a meeting agenda.

“If we were to decide based on a democratic process, then we should use the simple majority method.

“We cannot have everybody say ‘yes’ or everybody say ‘no’ to a certain thing. So for things to be resolved amicably, you must abide by a democratic process,” he said.

“But the BN secretary-general must be convinced to put this (Allah) issue as an agenda, that only we can decide,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gerakan vice president Dominic Lau said a show of votes should be the last resort for BN if the problem persists.

“The topic is very sensitive, that is why the cabinet made a decision to let the prime minister speak on the subject.

“Gerakan also wish to see it being solved as soon as possible. But if it really cannot be solved, then we have to use the simple majority method to reach a decision,” he said.