KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — PKR’s Zulkifli Nordin today questioned the decision made by the Home Ministry in allowing the Catholic weekly The Herald to use the word “Allah” in its publications.
“Have they referred to the related decree? The ministry should not compromise on this matter,” said the Kulim Bandar Baharu MP when asked about the decision.
He told The Malaysian Insider that his opposition to the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims were not motivated by theological arguments.
The Home Ministry has allowed Herald to use the word “Allah”, but the publication has to clearly print the words “For Christianity” on its cover.
“We should look at the social context where the word is used by the Malay Muslims in the country, what is the reason behind their insistence on using ‘Allah’,” said Zulkifli.
Earlier in his speech while debating the motion of thanks to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, the first term MP express his unhappiness with The Herald’s editor Lawrence Andrew’s statement on the use of the word Allah by the publication.
“I am worried that the word ‘Allah’ was used with the aim to confuse the Muslims,” said Zulkifli referring to leaflets in Malay promoting Christianity which he claimed was distributed in a Malay-majority school in Ampang.
“Does God’s name follow the race or language,” said Zulkifli.
He added that the word “Allah” which is also used in the Malay version of the Bible, Al-Kitab would also confuse the Muslims.
“I have no problem with the use of the Malay language, but by using the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God, it made the Muslims unhappy, I have met a lot of them who told me this,” he said in his speech.
Zulkifli has always been consistent in raising issues relating to Islam which often contradicts the common stand agreed to by Pakatan Rakyat leaders.
Last year he led a protest against a closed door forum on Islam, saying that the event organised by the Bar Council was an attempt to question the position of Islam as the religion of the federation.
The exclusive use of the word "Allah" written by Lim Chong Leong,
Friday, February 27 2009 01:40 pm
Are Muslims that easily confused that they do not know they are reading scriptures of another religion? Then something must be wrong with him or his teachings.
Lim Chong Leong
Mr Zulkifili, you are a very difficult and irrational man to live with written by Chan Yat Hee,
Saturday, February 28 2009 12:44 am
Mr Zulkifili claims that he met a lot of Muslims who are unhappy over the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims. The question is what is the percentage of this group of unhappy Muslims as compared with the Muslims at large who has remained silent on the issue. One cannot just take this group of unhappy Muslims as a gauge or measurement of disagreement with non-Muslims' use of this word without considering the silent Muslim majority.
Moreover, no where in this world except Malaysia prohibits the use of the word Allah. And this was only a recent phenomenon. This was never the case during the British rule and after Merdeka.
I am doubtful that Muslims can be confused by the use of just one word. Even if there is confusion, it is very very unlikely that just because of this one word, these Muslims will convert out of Islam.
What about the Christian bumiputera in Sabah and Sarawak who are only conversant in Bahasa Malaysia. Are they not entitled to use this word?
CHAN YAT HEE
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Are Muslims that easily confused that they do not know they are reading scriptures of another religion? Then something must be wrong with him or his teachings.
Lim Chong Leong