KUCHING: There should not be any appeal against the High Court’s ruling on the use by non-Muslims of the word ‘Allah’, said Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen.
“It is our constitutional right to freedom of religion,” he said during a press conference at Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak Headquarters here today.
He said since before the formation of Malaysia, the word ‘Allah’ has been used by Christians to describe and refer to God.
“It is only some fanatics who try to monopolise the use of that word, and it is regrettable that the federal government has succumbed to the wishes of these groups,” he said.
While noting that Sarawak supports religious tolerance and the state government’s stance on the High Court’s ruling remains consistent, Chong pointed out that there are more than 100,000 Sarawakians living in West Malaysia.
“A lot of them since childhood have been referring to God as Allah. Just because they are now working in West Malaysia, are they to change the words that they refer to God with all this while?” he questioned.
Last March 10, Court of Appeal Justice Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin, sitting as High Court judge, ruled that the Home Ministry’s directive to prohibit the use of the word ‘Allah’, in addition to three other words ‘Baitullah’, ‘Kaabah’, and ‘solat’, was illegal and irrational.
The federal government then filed an appeal against this decision, with the notice of appeal filed at the Court of Appeal on Mar 12 as confirmed by Solicitor-General Datuk Abdul Razak Musa on Mar 15.
