Let's not play God, don’t let Allah issue divide us

Believe me, I find no joy in penning this article on the controversial ‘Allah’ issue.

I have written on the subject on several occasions in the past.

Every time the Allah issue rears its ugly head in public, I feel nothing but sadness and disappointment that we, Malaysians, supposedly progressive people in a developed nation, cannot put the controversy behind us and move on.

Seriously, no writer worth his salt will derive any pleasure from a subject riddled with so many negative vibes and one not even suitable to be brought up in the public domain in the first place, in my opinion.

It is even more complicated when the subject is one of a religious nature. No matter our views and opinions, no winner will emerge from this Allah debate.

I mean, how could anyone who claims to be a believer of Allah/God think he is a winner in a heated debate over a beautiful, respectful, salutatory word/term we use to address His holy name?

I think the debate itself borders on ridiculousness and ludicrosity, to be frank, and with respect to those who disagree with me.

I have no intention to delve into how the Allah issue cropped up again and why the government has decided to drop the Jill Ireland appeal. The matter was well covered in the media.

As always, don’t expect opposition politicians to accept the explanations offered by the prime minister and the home minister.

Timely opportunity

To the opposition, the eruption of the Allah controversy again was a timely opportunity to hit out at Anwar Ibrahim and his unity government, given the proximity of six state elections.

Why? It involves Islam and is the perfect target to arouse Malay/Muslim sentiments against the Anwar administration.

Here, I maintain that politicians are not the right people to resolve any religious controversy. The trouble with politicians is that they like to play God. Maybe, some even think they are more significant than God.

Seriously, how often have we heard of politicians declaring that they would be prepared to die for their faith and love of God, but behind that veil of purity, they are the most corrupt people enriching themselves with what’s not theirs in the first place?

They do not care if their excessive greed causes untold misery and suffering to their fellow Malaysians.

This is the crux of the whole problem - politicians.

They are people with an agenda and have to play up with issues for self-interest or glorification.

At times, we can’t blame them. That’s their craft. It’s their bread and butter. But I would have thought that they could wise up regarding religious matters.

Wise words

As a Sarawakian, I will always remember the wise words of our late chief minister, Adenan Satem, when he commented on the Allah issue: “The people of Sarawak can use the word, Allah, anytime and anywhere they wish. I have no objection. Who am I to object, anyway? I’m not God and I don’t intend to play God”.

As a Christian, I’m aware that I could have differing views from my fellow Christians on issues regarding our faith. So, it must be too for those of other faiths, including Muslims.

We have already witnessed how Adenan, as a Muslim, had different views from Muslims in Malaya regarding the use of the term Allah.

As Adenan said, he had no intention of playing God. Let us heed his advice and refrain from ever thinking that we could even be remotely successful in attempting to play God.

Understandably, the concept of wielding God-like power and control can be intriguing. The desire to play God often stems from a sense of superiority or a longing for ultimate authority.

All of us, political leaders in particular, must understand that playing God disregards the fundamental principles of humility, empathy, and respect for others.

It disregards the inherent dignity and autonomy of every individual.

Each person has dreams, aspirations, and choices that should be acknowledged and respected rather than manipulated or overridden.

Instead of seeking to play God, embracing our inherent humanity is more constructive and beneficial.

Remember, true power lies not in playing God but in understanding and respecting the intricate balance of life.

Together, we can build a more harmonious and compassionate society where the pursuit of shared well-being and understanding replaces the pursuit of power.

In case we choose to forget conveniently, Malaysia is the only nation in the world where its citizens are debating and quarrelling over the use of the word Allah.

I’m not sure whether we, Malaysians, should be ashamed of ourselves or, at least, feel embarrassed in what I would call a superficially hypocritical indulgence.

In conclusion, my message to my fellow Malaysians is this: Let us not play God and don’t ever allow the Allah controversy to divide us. It’s just not worth it. - Mkini

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FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is a veteran Sarawak editor and heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS). He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.