Putrajaya still in search of a solution to ‘Allah’ row, says Idris Jala

Datuk Seri Idris Jala (pic), who has been criticised for not coming out strongly in defence of the 10-point solution he helped to draft to resolve the "Allah" row, today said Putrajaya is still finding a win-win solution between Muslims and Christians on the issue.

The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department said an announcement will be made at the "right time".

The 10-point solution, endorsed by the Cabinet in 2011 just before the Sarawak state election, allows Bibles in all languages to be imported into the country, including those in Bahasa Malaysia and Indonesia, which contain the word "Allah".

Jala said he would refrain from talking publicly on the controversy so as to "bring down the political temperature".

"People are going to misinterpret the issue and criticise us, the more we talk about it," he told reporters after attending a forum by the Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs in conjunction with  the 111th birthday of first prime minister the late Tunku Abdul Rahman.

At an interfaith forum recently, Council of Churches Malaysia general-secretary Rev Dr Hermen Shastri said that the 10-point solution had been reached through sincere and open dialogue, taking into account the sensitivities involved.

"It is the duty of those engaged in that dialogue to own up to the agreement that was reached and, therefore, Idris Jala, who was one of the main architects of the negotiations must stand up, or else he is not fit to be a Christian," Hermen had said.

Last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Putrajaya was committed to the 10-point solution, but added it was still subject to the respective state enactments in the peninisula as religious affairs in every state fell under the purview of the state government and not Putrajaya.

Under the agreement, bibles in all languages can also be printed locally in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.

Earlier today, speaking at the forum entitled "Is the Malaysian Government Serious About Reform" Idris said he respected the right of freedom of speech as it allowed individuals to speak up their mind.

"This means there are people who are going to say something good or bad but you must be prepared to listen," he said.

He said there were some Christian leaders who had gone on record to say that he was unfit to be in the Cabinet but he took that statement in good spirit.

"Unfortunately, they are not God. We cannot be be overly-sensitive," he said.

Jala said Malaysians must accommodate differences in opinion and hold dialogue with parties with whom they were having any disagreements.

"If you don't agree with me then come and talk to me," he said.

He said Malaysians must move forward from being tolerant to accept the religious and cultural differences among them.

"Finally, we should celebrate the differences in inquiring about the good values from the other side," he added.

Racial and religious tension hit a new high last month after the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) and police raided the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM).

Enforcement officers from Jais seized more than 300 bibles published in Bahasa Malaysia and Iban and also detained BSM chairman Lee Min Choon and office manager Sinclair Wong.

The raid came two months after a three-man Court of Appeal bench allowed Putrajaya's appeal to reverse a High Court ruling that Catholic weekly Herald could not use the word Allah as "it was not an integral part of the Christian faith and practice".

The church is appealing that decision.