‘Allah’ dispute could affect national unity if not dealt with, warns King

 

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said it was also vital to ‘not question and belittle the religious beliefs of other races’.

PETALING JAYA: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah fears the polemics over the usage of “Allah” could affect national unity and the well-being of the country if it is not resolved immediately.

The King said the debate over the use of the Arabic word had nothing to do with “terminology and linguistics”, Bernama reported.

Rather, the use of the word was linked to the faith of the Muslim community in this country and if the dispute is not dealt with immediately, it could create enmity among the races, he said.

Ads by Kiosked

Sultan Abdullah called for Putrajaya to consider several factors when resolving the matter.

“The government should take into account national security, the benefit of the ummah as well as my position and the position of other Malay Rulers as the heads of Islam,” he was quoted as saying.

Sultan Abdullah said that to foster unity, it was also vital to “not question and belittle the religious beliefs of other races”.

“For the sake of unity and the future of the country, any religious controversy must be resolved immediately.”

Last month, it was reported that the government had abandoned its appeal in April against a landmark ruling by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on a Sarawakian woman’s right to use “Allah” in her religious learning.

The then High Court judge Justice 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.

Ads by Kiosked

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim later said that the ruling applied only to Sarawak, while home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the ministry would review the administrative order it issued in 1986 on the use of the word “Allah”, among others, by non-Muslims.

The prime minister also said that the Cabinet will submit its recommendations on the “Allah” issue to the Conference of Rulers.

He said the Cabinet had obtained the Agong’s green light to submit its recommendations related to government directives on the usage of the word “Allah”. - FMT