Najib: 10-point resolution on Allah issue subject to Federal, state laws

KUALA LUMPUR: The Umno Supreme Council on Friday threw its support behind the Government's stand in defending the position of Islam, including on the use of the word Allah (kalimah Allah), said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib, who is also Umno president, said the Supreme Council also took note of the Cabinet's 10-point resolution on this matter in 2011, which among others, allows the Christian community in Sabah and Sarawak to continue using the word Allah in the Malay version of the Bible.

However, he said the points therein were subject to Federal and state laws.

"This means that if the state has an enactment (on use of the word Allah), it is subject to this. If the state does not have such an enactment, like Sabah and Sarawak, so the usual practice will be continued and no party should scare others," he told reporters after chairing the Umno Supreme Council meeting at Menara Dato Onn on Friday.

Najib said the ninth item in the resolution also specifically states that it was subject to Federal and state laws.

Commenting on the decree by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah recently that the use of the word Allah was the exclusive right of Muslims, Najib said the decree was in the context of the state of Kedah as he issued it as the head of Kedah.

 "The speech was made on His Highness' birthday. It does not cover the whole country," he said.

Meanwhile, Najib said the meeting today also approved the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for Umno and would be issued to all divisions, branches, and state liason offices.

He said the KPI would ensure all work was performed actively and systematically.

He added that Supreme Council members would be assigned the task of monitoring the KPI at the divisional level while the division head would be responsible for monitoring the KPI of branches under him. - Bernama