Free Malaysia Today
by G. Vinod
KUALA LUMPUR | Jan 8, 2013
Pakatan Rakyat today announced that it has no qualms about non-Muslims using the word “Allah” to refer to God as long as it is not misused.
Speaking at a press conference here today, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said that “Allah”, which is written in the al-Quran, is special and cannot be translated properly to other languages.
“That’s why Muslims of all races refer to God as Allah. So non-Muslims can use the holy word although it may not reflect the original meaning,” he explained.
Also present were PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.
However, the decision made by Pakatan runs contrary to the Selangor Islamic Religious Council’s (MAIS) stand today that non-Muslims in the state are forbidden from using the word “Allah”.
“The Sultan of Selangor, Sharafuddin Idris Shah, had decreed that non-Muslims are forbidden from using the word “Allah”, as mentioned by His Majesty on Feb 18, 2010, as the name is a sacred word for Muslims,” said MAIS secretary Mohd Misri Idris in a statement issued this morning.
Misri added that the ruler had also urged MAIS to take action against Muslims or non-Muslims should they go against the decision under Selangor’s Non-Islamic Religions Enactment (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) 1988.
Hadi, who is also Marang MP, said he regrets that Umno has resorted to use the holy word as a political tool to further its agenda.
“Umno, a party that represents a large number of Malay-Muslims, has politicised the matter without considering the sensitivity of Malaysia’s multi-religious society,” he added.
Asked on the ruler’s decree, Hadi refused to comment. saying his statement was sufficient.
Commenting on the matter, Anwar praised PAS for its move, saying the decision was in tandem with Islamic teachings.
“While we don’t object to non-Muslims using the word Allah, we also urge all quarters including the churches not to misuse the holy word as the name is revered greatly by Muslims,” he said.
On the Sultan’s decree, Anwar dodged the matter by saying that MAIS has always moved independently of the Selangor state government.
“That’s why you see MAIS giving statements against Pakatan but never against Umno. Till now, they have never issued any statements with regard to some Umno leaders holding posts in San Miguel, a liquor company,” he added.
Najib must probe RM207b
On another matter, Anwar insisted that he has no knowledge of the RM207 billion compensation allegedly paid by the Japanese government to Malaysia for the Death Railway victims.
“The money did not come through the Treasury,” said Anwar, who was finance minister from 1993 to 1998.
However, he urged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to launch an investigation on what happened to the funds that was supposed to be distributed to families of those taken to work at the Death Railway in Burma.
“Not only that, Najib should also address the Global Financial Integrity Report that indicates that Malaysia lost RM190 billion in illicit outflow of funds in 2010. Till now, the prime minister has not responded to the matter,” he said.