Cabinet decides that seizure of Bibles by Jais a state issue

KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet has decided that the seizure of Bibles by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Depart­ment (Jais) remains a state issue that should be resolved by the Selangor Govern­ment.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the Cabinet also agreed that it would be best to allow temperatures to cool and to stand by the 10-point solution announced by the Government in April 2011.

Under the 10-point solution announced by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Idris Jala, Bibles in all languages can be imported into the country, including those in Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia, and the Bibles can also be printed locally in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.

However, Khairy said the 10-point solution cannot supersede the state enactment.

“The state government has to resolve this with Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (Mais). That’s for the state to sort out,” he told reporter­s after addressing the Malaysia Strategic Outlook Conference organise­d by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) here yesterday.

On Jan 2, Jais seized more than 300 copies of Malay and Iban language Bibles from the premises of the Bible Society of Malaysia durin­g a raid.

Responding to the Cabinet’s decision to leave the matter to the Selangor Government to resolve it, state executive councillor Sallehen Mukhyi said the Home Ministry should elaborate in detail the 10-point solution to avoid misunderstandings or misinterpretations.

“Why doesn’t the ministry expand on the 10-point solution and provide detailed elaboration?” he said, adding that the ministry should also include a clause that exempts states with existing Islamic enactments from the 10-point solution.

“This is to respect the position of the Ruler as the head of Islam and the jurisdiction of the state on Islamic affairs.”