PETALING JAYA: Various quarters have called on the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) to urgently address the deepening conflict over the usage of the word “Allah”.
Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said the Barisan Nasional supreme council should also convene an emergency meeting as soon as possible to resolve the dispute once and for all.
“The NUCC can forward its recommendations to the supreme council so that it can direct the Federal Government to resolve the problem accordingly,” he said.
Tan added that the supreme council would be the right body to discuss the matter compared to the Cabinet as all the Barisan component parties, including those from Sabah and Sarawak, would be consulted.
MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said delaying the solution for the dispute would disturb the peace and harmony in Malaysia.
“The Government should take the lead in resolving this matter and form a sensible and informed decision based on the Federal Constitution and history,” she said.
MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon said the NUCC should make the issue its top agenda at its meeting today.
“In line with the Prime Minister’s pledge for national reconciliation, the controversy should not be further fanned by unnecessary protests that will add oil to the fire,” he said.
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism president Jagir Singh said the group in Klang should have voiced their disagreement peacefully instead of threatening to hold “mega demonstrations” if Father Lawrence Andrew did not apologise.
Elsewhere, the Association for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham) called on the Government to be “a true defender of human rights”.
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