Govt should not have withdrawn appeal in ‘Allah’ case, says Muhyiddin
Published on: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
By: FMT
Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said the case is one of public interest and involves the sensitivities of Muslims. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: : Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin says he regrets the government’s decision to withdraw its appeal against a High Court ruling on a Sarawakian woman’s right to use the word “Allah” in her religious learning.
The former prime minister said the case is one of public interest and involves the sensitivities of Muslims.
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“This case should have been decided through the proper legal process in court,” Muhyiddin, who is also the Bersatu president, said in a statement today.
“If the court decision was still not in favour of the government after the appeal, then the government could have amended the law to ensure its purpose is enforced – which is to guarantee harmonious relations among the various religions and maintain public order.”
The Attorney-General’s Chambers, representing the home ministry, notified the Court of Appeal on April 18 that it did not wish to pursue the appeal.
On March 10, 2021, the High Court, in a landmark decision, ruled that Jill Ireland could use the word “Allah” for the purpose of religious education in Malay and her native Melanau language in Sarawak.
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Then High Court judge Nor Bee Ariffin said a Dec 5, 1986 home ministry directive to prohibit the use of the words “Allah”, “Baitullah”, “Solat” and “Kaabah” by non-Muslims was illegal.
A former home minister, Muhyiddin said the ministry’s position when Pakatan Harapan was in power was that the case must be decided by the courts according to the due legal process.
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He said one of the ministry’s main arguments at that time was that the spread of Christian pamphlets containing the word “Allah” could cause anxiety among Muslims, and that this was likely to threaten public order and national security.
The Pagoh MP also said the decision to appeal the ruling was in line with the wishes of the Johor and Selangor sultans.
“It should be remembered that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of Islam in the federal territories while the Malay rulers are the heads of Islam in their respective states,” he said.
“The government must respect their views in this matter.”
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