Jais decides not to return Bibles

It says it is defying any state directive and will let the courts decide.

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor Religious Department (Jais) has decided to defy any state government order for it to return the Bibles it seized from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM), saying Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s administration has no authority to issue such a directive.

In a recent report of its study on the issue, it insisted that BSM had violated the law, citing the outcome of a Selangor Islamic Council (Mais) meeting on June 13, which effectively rejected the Attorney General’s view that BSM committed no wrong.

The report, dated June 16, was shown to FMT by a source close to Jais.

It also cited a MAIS decision to reject a Selangor Exco directive for the Bibles to be returned.

The report urged the Selangor Deputy Public Prosecutor to obtain a court order on whether the Bibles should be destroyed.

Jais maintained that its action of seizing the Bibles from BSM’s premises last January was in accordance with the law.

It said Selangor’s 1988 Enactment on Non-Muslim Religions (Prohibition of Proselyting Among Muslims) would be meaningless if not enforced.