MIRI: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) has welcomed the Federal government’s withdrawal of the appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s judgment that non-Muslims can use the word “Allah”.
Its secretary general Datuk Sebastian Ting said it augurs well for the Unity Government’s push to defend the rights and interests of all in the country.
He said the Senior Federal Counsel representing the federal government and the Ministry of Home Affairs had filed a notice of withdrawal of appeal on April 18, and Senior Federal Counsel Sansu Pohasan confirmed the decision.
This means, the federal government will no longer pursue to appeal against the judgment that non-Muslims can use the word “Allah,” he added.
Ting, in his statement, pointed out that the Kuala Lumpur High Court had made a historical decision in ruling on March 10, 2021 that Christians have the right to use the word “Allah” for religious and educational purposes.
The decision favoured Sarawak native who filed a judicial review to challenge a directive by Home Minister to ban the use of “Allah” by non Muslims in 1986.
Ting said it was regrettable and disturbing that the government and the Ministry of Home Affairs subsequently appealed against the High Court’s decision then.
However, fortunately, the current federal government has decided to withdraw the appeal, which reflects the determination of the Unity Government to defend the rights and interests of all ethnic groups and religions, he added.
Ting stated that the Sarawak GPS has always defended the harmony of all ethnic groups in the spirit of moderation, including the late former Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem who had openly expressed that Sarawak has religious freedom and that non-Muslims use of the word “Allah” is not an issue in Sarawak and will never be an issue in Sarawak.
Since Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took office, Ting pointed out that he has repeatedly praised Sarawak for doing the right thing in many fields.
