Policy on use of ‘Allah’ won’t change, says Anwar

 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivering a speech during a gathering with mosque and surau committee members from the Tambun parliamentary constituency at the Perak Islamic Administration Institute (INTIM) in Ipoh today. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim insists there is no need to fuss over the government’s withdrawal of its appeal against a High Court ruling giving a Sarawakian woman the right to use the word “Allah” in her religious learning.

Stating that the matter should not be debated as it did not involve changes in policy, Anwar said the court’s decision on the issue had spanned several government administrations.

“It’s all right not to agree (with the withdrawal of the appeal), but that (use of the word Allah) is a long-standing decision that was used by previous governments from Barisan Nasional (BN) to Perikatan Nasional (PN), from Umno to PAS and Bersatu, until now… That has always been the policy,” he said in a Harian Metro report.

“The policy is that non-Muslims cannot use the term ‘Allah’, including in their (holy) books. The word ‘Allah’ is for Muslims in Peninsular Malaysia, and likewise in Sabah and Sarawak, with some conditions. This is the decision of the muftis and the Malay rulers. There has been no change to this.

“So what’s the fuss about? What’s wrong? Ohhh… Anwar is a liberal. He bows down to DAP, and now it’s true that he wants to destroy the Islamic faith. What is this?” he said during an event in Perak.

On Wednesday, Anwar said the Cabinet had obtained the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s green light to submit its recommendations related to government directives on the usage of the word “Allah”. Anwar said the Cabinet would submit its recommendations to resolve the issue in a “holistic and unified” manner.

“Our rules are not clear in terms of taking action and so on, so we will look into that,” Anwar said today.

“I feel like we have to tidy up two or three (matters) that are loose. That is why we are asking for the Agong’s approval to present it at the upcoming Conference of Rulers meeting. Are we going to change the policy? No, (we) want to streamline its implementation,” he said.

On March 10, 2021, the High Court, in a landmark decision, ruled that Sarawakian woman Jill Ireland could use the word “Allah” for the purpose of religious education in Bahasa Malaysia and her native Melanau language in Sarawak.

Then High Court judge Nor Bee Ariffin said a Dec 5, 1986 home ministry directive to prohibit the use of the words “Allah”, “Baitullah”, “Solat” and “Kaabah” by non-Muslims was illegal.

She said Ireland had the constitutional right to use and import any publication for her religious education. The home ministry appealed against the decision on March 12, 2021.

On April 18, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, representing the home ministry, notified the Court of Appeal that it did not wish to pursue the appeal.

Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the appeal was withdrawn following the discovery of a contradiction between a 1986 Cabinet decision and an administrative order from the home ministry the same year. - FMT