Selangor Umno drops protest plans, but warns of ‘mega demonstration’ ahead

Noh (in red shirt) speaking to reporters at the Umno building in Shah Alam, today. - The Malaysian Insider pic, January 4, 2014.Selangor Umno has dropped a planned protest outside a church in Klang tomorrow, but not without a warning to Father Lawrence Andrew, the editor of Catholic weekly Herald.

"Father Lawrence, don't be rude (biadap)... if you want to show 'besar kepala' (big headed), don't be shocked if the Malay non-governmental organisations carry out a mega demonstration," said Umno state liaison chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar.

"He was the one who started it...the culprit here is Father Lawrence... not the Christians in general," he added.

Noh said the protest tomorrow was shelved to avoid a "religious war".

"We do not want this to spiral into a heated religious war and create unwanted tension.

"Why must we disturb other Christians and priest because of one man who does not understand the law?" he asked.

Andrew reportedly said that Christians in the state would continue using the word "Allah" for their Bahasa Malaysia services in churches across Selangor. His statement came after Jais director Ahmad Zaharin Mohd Saad reminded churches in Selangor of a state enactment passed during the Barisan Nasional rule, prohibiting non-Muslims from using the word "Allah" among other religious words.

Noh backed Jais's controversial raid of the Bible Society of Malaysia on Thursday, which saw some 300 copies of the Bahasa Malaysia and Iban translations of the Bible seized.

He said the action had "nothing to do with pre-empting an ongoing court case" as pointed out by Father Andrew in an interview with The Malaysian Insider last month.

"This has to do with the 1988 Selangor State Enactment, and everyone must abide by it," said Noh.

"The enactment is still valid as long as it s not 'cancelled' by the state assembly," he added.

Noh also urged leaders from outside Selangor not to interfere in the issue.

"Leaders from other states, don't jump in and try to be a hero to champion this matter. I stress again, that this has to do with the state enactment. Your state may not have such rules," he told a press conference at the Selangor Umno building today.

"People who say Jais's actions mean they don't respect Selangor rules... even Putrajaya has no powers to interfere in matters pertaining to Selangor state enactments."

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