S'wak Deputy CM slams Muafakat Nasional's call to appeal 'Allah' word ruling

KUCHING: Umno and PAS have come under fire for urging the government to appeal the High Court's ruling on the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims.

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Masing said the Muafakat Nasional partners' call was "the most ridiculous demand" by any political party in a multi-religious nation like Malaysia.

Political parties, he said, should not interfere in religious matters.

"It is my hope that we should allow men of religion and the court to decide on religious issues and not politicians," Masing said when contacted on Thursday (March 11).

He added that if Umno and PAS wanted the High Court's ruling to be appealed, it would be tantamount to seeking a review of Article 11 of the Federal Constitution, which allows for freedom of religion.

Masing is the president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), a component party of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition which is allied to Umno and PAS under the Perikatan Nasional government.

The Muafakat consultative committee meeting on Wednesday night (March 10) urged that the High Court's ruling on the use of Allah and three other Arabic words - Baitullah, Kaabah and solat - be referred to the Court of Appeal.

In a statement, the coalition said it viewed seriously the court's decision to allow non-Muslims to use the words in their publications.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled on Wednesday that Christians nationwide can use Allah and the other words in their religious publications for educational purposes.

Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin, sitting as High Court judge, made the ruling in allowing a judicial review application by a Sarawak native Christian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, to practise her constitutional rights of practising her religion.

The judge ruled that a 1986 directive that banned the use of the four words by non-Muslims was "illegal" and "unconstitutional".

The court also allowed three reliefs sought by Jill Ireland which included a declaration of her rights based on Articles 3,8, 11 and 12 of the Federal Constitution to import publications in exercising her rights to practise her religion and education.