The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (pic), for a second time this year has called on non-Muslims in the state to not refer to God as Allah.
Selangor Royal Council secretary Hanafisah Jais issued a statement today on behalf of the Sultan, calling on his people to adhere to Section 9 of the Non Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation against Muslims) Enactment 1988, which classifies use of certain words and expressions of Islamic origin without the state's authority as a religious offence in the state.
This was done after he consulted with the Selangor Royal Council on Monday, the statement added.
This, he said, was to avoid causing confusion among Muslims in Selangor.
The Sultan reminded of a decision by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council which was gazetted on February 2010, barring non-Muslims from using the word Allah to refer to God.
He pointed out that the special position of Islam in the country was protected under Article 3 of the Federal Constitution.
The Sultan also urged Muslims in the state to unite against "bad elements" who misuse the word Allah, and added that the matter should not be taken lightly because of its impact on the country's security and racial tension.
He also warned against politicising the issue, saying the word is considered sacred in Islam.
The royal statement comes following the Court of Appeal's decision on October 14 to uphold the Home Ministry's ban on Catholic weekly Herald from using the word Allah.
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