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| Sokongan Hadi Awang kepada pengumuman Anwar-Kitsiang membenarkan kristian menggunakan kalimah Allah pada 08 Jan 2012 telah mengelirukan ramai pengikut dan penyokong PAS kerana ianya bercanggah dengan ketetapan Majlis Syura' PAS bertarikh 13 Jan 2012 yang melarang penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh selain Islam kerana membabitkan isu aqidah! |
Saya melihat ada segelintir pihak masih tidak memahami persoalan mengenai Resolusi 10-Perkara (10 Point Resolution) berkaitan pengimpotan bibel versi bahasa Melayu-Indonesia ke Sabah Sarawak dan pergerakannya di Semenanjung.
Ada yang mendakwa Resolusi itu membenarkan kalimah Allah diguna-pakai oleh pendakyah kristian; ada yang memfitnah Najib telah menjual kalimah Allah kepada kristian melalui Resolusi itu; ada yang mendakwa Kerajaan tunduk kepada pendakyah kristian dalam menggubal Resolusi 10 Perkara tersebut.
Apa yang jelas, samada pihak yang memfitnah atau mendakwa ini memutar-belitkan Resolusi 10-Perkara tersebut benar-benar bodoh tidak memahami perbezaan antara pengimpotan bibel bahasa Melayu dan penggunaan kalimah Allah, atau mereka memang sengaja mahu mencari publisiti murahan dan political mileage daripada kejahilan sesetengah pihak.
Resolusi 10-Perkara bertarikh 08 April 2011 ini adalah keputusan kabinet yang diumumkan oleh Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Idris Jala, seorang kristian totok daripada Bario, pendalaman Sarawak setelah berlaku isu perampasan bibel versi bahasa Indonesia di Sarawak dan di Pelabuhan Kelang. Ianya dibuat setelah mesyuarat kabinet dalam mendepani masalah pengimpotan bibel versi bahasa Melayu-Indonesia yang dipolitikkan oleh pihak-pihak tertentu dalam menghadapi Pilihanraya Negeri Sarawak 2011.
Apa yang jelas, Resolusi 10-Perkara tersebut langsung tidak menyentuh tentang kalimah Allah. Ia hanya berkaitan soal pengimpotan dan penggunaan bibel versi bahasa Melayu-Indonesia terutamanya di Sabah dan Sarawak, dan penggunaannya oleh penganut kristian daripada Sabah/ Sarawak di Semananjung.
Jom kita teliti betul-betul Resolusi 10 Perkara itu.
RESOLUSI 10-PERKARA:
1. Bibel dalam apa jua bahasa boleh di impot masuk kedalam Malaysia, termasuk dalam Bahasa Malaysia/ Indonesia;
2. Bibel-bibel ini juga boleh dicetak didalam Semenanjung Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak;
3. Bibel dalam bahasa asal kaum di Sabah dan Sarawak
seperti Iban, Kadazan-Dusun dan Lun Bawang juga boleh dicetak atau diimpot;
4. Bagi Sabah dan
Sarawak, dengan mengakui ujudnya masyarakat Kristian bagi negeri-negeri ini,
tiada syarat akan dikenakan bagi pengimpotan dan percetakan bibel dalam semua
bahasa, termasuk dalam Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia dan bahasa tempatan. Juga
tiada keperluan untuk setem atau nombor siri;
5. Mengambil kira
kepentingan masyarakat Islam yang besar di Semenanjung Malaysia, bibel didalam
Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia, samada dicetak atau diimpot, mestilah tercatat “Penerbitan Kristian” dan ‘salib’ dicetak di
halaman hadapan;
6. Diatas semangat
1Malaysia, dan mengakui bahawa ramai orang bergerak diantara Sabah dan Sarawak dan
Semenanjung Malaysia, maka tiada sebarang larangan atau sekatan untuk mana-mana
orang membawa bibel atau bahan kristian bagi pergerakan tersebut;
7. Arahan berkaitan bibel ini telah dikeluarkan oleh Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri
untuk memastikan perlaksanaan keputusan cabinet ini disempurnakan. Kegagalan
untuk mematuhi arahan ini boleh menyebabkan pegawai berkenaan dikenakan
tindakan disiplin dibawah Perintah Am. Taklimat komprehensif oleh para pegawai
kanan termasuk Peguam Negara akan diberikan kepada semua pegawai berkaitan
untuk memastikan pemahaman yang baik dan perlaksanaan yang sempurna arahan ini;
8. Untuk bibel yang
telah dirampas di Kucing, pihak Gideon, pengimpot bible tersebut boleh
mengambil semula 30,000 naskah bible tersebut tanpa sebarang bayaran. Kami juga
akan membayar semula kos-kos pihak yang terlibat. Tawaran yang sama juga diberikan
keatas 5,100 naskah Bibel yang dirampas di Pelabuhan Kelang, yang telah pun diambil
semula oleh Bible Society Malaysia (BSM) minggu lepas;
9. Melangkaui isu bibel
ini, Kerajaan berhasrat menegaskan komitmennya untuk bekerjasama dengan kumpulan
kristian dan semua kumpulan agama lain untuk memastikan isu-isu antara-agama
dibincangkan secara baik dan bekerja untuk memastikan pencapaian aspirasi semua
agama berdasarkan Perlembagaan, dengan mengambilkira undang-undang sedia ada didalam
negara ini. Untuk memastikan penyegeraan perihal ini, YAB Perdana Menteri akan menemui
perwakilan Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) untuk membincangkan hal ini;
10. Para Menteri kabinet
beragama kristian akan mengadakan pertemuan secara berkala dengan pelbagai kumpulan
kristian untuk membincangkan isu-isu berkaitan kepentingan mereka dengan mana-mana
Menteri atau Perdana Mentari untuk tujuan menyelesaikannya;
Saya memaparkan butiran penuh Resolusi 10-Perkara ini untuk memastikan kita semua memahami apakah sebenarnya resolusi tersebut.
Ini kerana ada pihak yang memutar-belitkan Resolusi 10-Perkara ini kononnya bukti Kerajaan atauapun Dato' Sri Najib sudah 'menjual kalimah Allah' kepada pihak kristian!
Sebenarnya Resolusi 10-Perkara ini adalah satu bentuk penyelesaian kepada masalah perampasan bibel versi bahawa Melayu yang diimpot masuk daripada Indonesia, dan bibel versi bahasa Melayu yang sudah sedia ada di Sabah dan Sarawak, termasuk yang dirampas di Pelabuhan Kelang.
Jika diteliti dengan akal yang waras, kita dapat melihat dengan jelas bahawa Resolusi 10 Perkara ini langsung tidak ada kena-mengena dengan dan tidak menyentuh langsung penggunaan kalimah Allah atau apa-apa juga perkataan yang dilarang penggunaannya oleh Enakmen Pengawalan Pengembangan Agama Bukan Islam.
Malahan Enakmen-Enakmen Pengawalan Pengembangan Agama Bukan Islam yang digubal di semua negeri-negeri (kecuali Sabah dan Sarawak) berdasarkan Artiekl 11 (4) Perlembagaan Persekutuan tidak langsung menyentuh tentang soal kemasukan atau pengimpotan bibel versi bahasa Melayu atau Indonesia.
Apa yang disentuh oleh Enakmen-Enakmen ini ialah pelarangan penggunaan beberapa perkataan atau kalimah seperti Allah, solah, wahyu, Ka'bah dan lain-lain.
Jadi tidak timbul isu Kerajaan ataupun Dato' Sri Najib membenarkan kristian menggunakan kalimah Allah sebagaimana yang difitnah oleh pihak-pihak yang sudah kehabisan modal politik.
Sebenarnya Resolusi 10-Perkara ini hanyalah dasar Kerajaan untuk menyelesaikan masalah spesifik, iaitu masalah kemasukan dan pengimpotan bibel versi bahasa Melayu kedalam Sabah, Sarawak dan pergerakan bi bel tersebut ke Semenanjung. Itu sahaja.
Resolusi 10-Perkara ini hanya menyentuh soal pengimpotan bibel versi bahasa Melayu. Ia tidak ada kena-mengena dengan penggunaan kalimah Allah.
Tidak mungkin Kerajaan membuat Resolusi 10-Perkara itu untuk membenarkan penggunaan kalimah Allah sedangkan Kerajaan sendiri yang mengemukakan rayuan kepada Mahkamah Rayuan untuk menghalang kristian menggunakan kalimah Allah dalam kes The Herald.
Dan dalam soal pengimpotan barangan percetakan daripada luarnegara, ianya mestilah tertakluk kepada undang-undang negara, samada undang-undang Persekutuan mahupun Negeri. Tidak mungkin Resolusi 10-Perkara itu bermaksud mengatasi undang-undang Persekutuan atau Negeri; kerana tidak boleh mana-mana dasar kerajaan mengatasi mana-mana undang-undang!
Dan dalam soal pengimpotan bibel versi bahasa Melayu atau Indonesia ini, ianya mestilah tertakluk kepada undang-undang negara seperti undang-undang kastam, percukaian, Akta Bahan Cetak dan Penerbitan, Akta Hasutan, Kanun Jenayah dan lain-lain, termasuk Enakmen Pengawalan Pengembangan Agama Bukan Islam dan lain-lain.
Walaupun Kerajaan pada dasarnya membenarkan kemasukan atau pengimpotan bibel versi bahasa Melayu-Indonesia ini, ianya mesti mematuhi dan tertakluk kepada undang-undang negara. Contohnya ianya mesti mendapat pelepasan Kastam; ia mesti membayar sebarang cukai impot yang dikenakan, ianya tidak boleh mengandungi unsur-unsur hasutan dan lain-lain. Jika ia tidak mematuhi syarat-syarat ini, maka ianya boleh dirampas atau disita.
Contohnya kalau pengimpotnya tidak membayar cukai, maka pihak Kastam berhak merampasnya. Dan bila Kastam merampasnya, bukan kerana ia bibel versi bahasa Melayu, tetapi kerana ia tidak membayar cukai!
Sama seperti kalau kita mahu mengimpot kereta. Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa mungkin telah memberikan kepada kita AP Impot kereta contohnya Toyota Harrier. Ini tidak bermakna kita boleh terus membawanya masuk. Kita mesti mendapat pelepasan Kastam terlebih dahulu. Dan kita mesti membayar duti impot.
Kemudian, kalau kereta itu datang dengan cermin gelap, kita tidak boleh membawaynya masuk kecuali mendapat kelulusan JPJ untuk pemasangan cermin gelap. Jika tidak, JPJ berhak merampasnya! Dan jika JPJ merampasnya, bukan kerana ia Toyota Harrier, tetapi kerana ia melanggar undang-undang negara!
Bibel versi bahasa Melayu-Indonesia dibenarkan dibawa masuk atau diimpot melalui dasar Kerajaan, mungkin kerana ada kristian di Sabah dan Sarawak memang menggunakan bahasa Melayu dan tidak tahu berbahasa Inggeris. Lagipun Perlembagaan memperuntukkan bahawa bahasa bagi negara Malaysia ialah Bahasa Melayu.
Yang menjadi isu bukan bibel versi bahasa Melayu, tetapi penggunaan perkataan-perkataan, ungkapan-ungkapan dan kalimah-kalimah yang memang sedia dilarang oleh undang-undang sedia ada dalam negara ini. Jadi pihak pengimpot bibel tersebut mestilah menghormati undang-undang sedia ada negara, yang antara lain melarang pengimpotan dan kemasukan bahan cetak dan penerbitan apa jua pun yang melanggar Enakmen Pengawalan Pengembangan Agama Bukan Islam termasuk penggunaan kalimah-kalimah dan perkataan-perkataan tertentu termasuk kalimah Allah.
Sayugia diperingatkan bahawa pihak KDN sendiri telah merampas ribuan naskah Al-Quran yang didapati tidak menepati piawaian dan garis-panduan yang ditetapkan oleh KDN ataupun JAKIM. Bukan sahaja Al-Quran, malah ribuan bahan cetak dan penerbitan termasuk buku, majalah, VCD, DVD dan lain-lain berkaitan agama Islam yang telah dirampas kerana tidak mematuhi undang-undang negara. Tidak pernah pula umat Islam berlarak dan berdemonstrasi membantah tindakan KDN atau JAKIM itu!
Sebab itu, saya menegaskan bahawa adalah salah dan tidak wajar bagi mana-mana pihak menyalahkan Kerajaan dalam isu penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh pendakyah kristian ini berdasarkan Resolusi 10-Perkara tersebut. Malahan pendekatan berhemah yang diambil oleh Kerajaan dalam cubaan menyelesaikan permasalahan bibel versi bahasa Melayu ini sepatutnya difahami dan dihormati oleh semua pihak; walaupun kita mungkin tidak bersetuju dengan dasar itu.
Saya sendiri pada dasarnya tidak bersetuju dengan pengimpotan dan percetakan bibel versi bahasa Melayu-Indonesia secara terbuka terutamanya kedalam Semenanjung. Pada saya Kerajaan sepatutnya menghadkan penggunaan bibel versi bahasa Melayu-Indonesia ini hanya kepada penganut kristian yang menggunakan bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa perantaraan. Itupun penyebarannya wajib dihadkan kepada mereka sahaja; dan bukannya secara umum.
Ini kerana dari segi prinsipnya Malaysia adalah sebuah negara yang meletakkan Islam sebagai agama bagi Persekutuan; oleh itu Islam wajib diberi keutamaan dan melangkaui agama atau kepercayaan lain.
Sebab itu saya cadangkan kepada Kerajaan supaya:
1. membuat bancian sebenarnya berapa jumlah penganut kristian yang menggunakan bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa harian atau perantaraan. Kita difahamkan penganut kristian seluruh Malaysia tidak sampai pun 10% jumlah penduduk. Dan daripada itu, bukan semuanya menggunakan bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa harian atau pun bahasa perantaraan;
2. setelah bancian dibuat, Kerajaan melalui KDN hendaklah membekalkan kepada mereka bibel versi bahasa Melayu-Indonesia untuk kegunaan peribadi mereka sahaja dengan catatan jelas di halaman hadapan bibel itu "Hanya Untuk Kegunaan Panganut Kristian Berbahasa Melayu Sahaja".
3. mana-mana bibel atau bahan cetak dan penerbitan kristian (atau agama-agama lain) hendaklah mematuhi mana-mana undang-undang negara sebelum boleh dibawa masuk atau digunakan termasuk Kanun Jenayah, Akta Bahan Cetak & Penerbitan, Akta Hasutan, Enakmen Pengawalan Pengembangan Agama Bukan Islam Negeri-Negeri dan lain-lain perundangan sedia ada;
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/laws-override-cabinets-10-point-deal-on-allah-says-perkasa-veep#sthash.4fseffEG
Members of Perkasa and other Muslim NGOs outside the Court of Appeal, September 10, 2013. — Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA
LUMPUR, Jan 9 — As Putrajaya is pressed to uphold its 10-point solution
allowing Malaysian Christians the freedom to use “Allah” in their
worship, Datuk Zulkifli Noordin pointed out the country’s laws override
“government policy”.
The vice-president of Malay rights group Perkasa also claimed the
country’s laws ban the import of any publication containing the word
“Allah”.
“Anyone with a little basic understanding of law will realise that government policies cannot breach, contradict or go against any laws of the country,” Zulkifli, a lawyer, said his blog post on Tuesday.
He pointed out that the much-touted Najib administration’s “10-Point Resolution is merely the government’s policy”, and stressed that policies that ran counter to the country’s laws “cannot be enforced”.
A long-simmering religious row between Malaysia’s dominant Muslim community and sizeable non-Muslim minorities bubbled up again after Selangor’s Islamic religious enforcers raided a bible importer’s office in Petaling Jaya and carted off over 300 copies of the Christian holy book in the Malay and Iban languages last week.
In his blog post, the former one-term Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP said the federal government has a right to impose restrictions or give leeway to importers, but was duty-bound to obey the country’s laws.
“And the country’s laws ban the use of a few words and certain words in any publication, including the word ‘Allah’,” he said.
“So bringing in or importing any publication containing the words that
are banned is prima facie a breach of laws that can see actions being
taken including the seizure of the publication materials and the
bringing of criminal charges in any criminal courts [of the civil legal
system].”
Federal laws do not prohibit the word the Arabic word for God from any publication.
But several states, including Selangor, have passed laws that bar the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims under provisions that restrict the propagation of non-Islamic religions to Muslims.
Zulkifli also sought to defend the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), which has come under public scrutiny following its surprise raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) last Thursday, where it seized over 300 bibles in the Malay and Iban languages that contained the word “Allah”.
The Malay-Muslim rights activist argued that Jais was merely carrying out its duties to enforce the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988.
He pointed out that Section 9 of the state law makes it a criminal offence for non-Muslims to use “Allah”, among a list of 35 other Arabic words.
“Therefore, the question that Jais should discuss or negotiate with anyone that is suspected of committing a crime does not arise,” he said.
Zulkifli’s comments preceded the Selangor mentri besar’s announcement that the state Islamic religious agency must receive the state executive council’s approval for future raids.
In a bid to sooth non-Muslim anxiety, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim told a news conference yesterday that though Jais had the legal authority to conduct raids, it must get the state’s nod before carrying out its duty.
Zulkifli said those charged with breaking the law have a legal right to defend themselves in court, and argued that “the question of the infringement of their basic rights and right to defend themselves does not arise”.
He questioned the Christian community’s “stubborn” insistence on using the “Allah” word to describe their God, asking if they have “hidden agenda”.
He also suggested that Malaysian Muslim concerns took a backseat to the rights of the country’s minority Christians.
“Why is this issue not looked at from the Muslims’ perspective at all?
“Do Muslims in Malaysia no longer have rights in protecting their faith and our basic rights to profess and practise our faith in peace and harmony as provided for by the Federal Constitution?” Zulkifli asked.
He claimed that Malaysian Muslims have never stopped Christians from professing and practising their faith, and expressed pride at their community’s high tolerance towards the followers of other religions.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/laws-override-cabinets-10-point-deal-on-allah-says-perkasa-veep#sthash.4fseffEG.G2ClXH13.dpuf
“Anyone with a little basic understanding of law will realise that government policies cannot breach, contradict or go against any laws of the country,” Zulkifli, a lawyer, said his blog post on Tuesday.
He pointed out that the much-touted Najib administration’s “10-Point Resolution is merely the government’s policy”, and stressed that policies that ran counter to the country’s laws “cannot be enforced”.
A long-simmering religious row between Malaysia’s dominant Muslim community and sizeable non-Muslim minorities bubbled up again after Selangor’s Islamic religious enforcers raided a bible importer’s office in Petaling Jaya and carted off over 300 copies of the Christian holy book in the Malay and Iban languages last week.
In his blog post, the former one-term Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP said the federal government has a right to impose restrictions or give leeway to importers, but was duty-bound to obey the country’s laws.
“And the country’s laws ban the use of a few words and certain words in any publication, including the word ‘Allah’,” he said.
Federal laws do not prohibit the word the Arabic word for God from any publication.
But several states, including Selangor, have passed laws that bar the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims under provisions that restrict the propagation of non-Islamic religions to Muslims.
Zulkifli also sought to defend the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), which has come under public scrutiny following its surprise raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) last Thursday, where it seized over 300 bibles in the Malay and Iban languages that contained the word “Allah”.
The Malay-Muslim rights activist argued that Jais was merely carrying out its duties to enforce the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988.
He pointed out that Section 9 of the state law makes it a criminal offence for non-Muslims to use “Allah”, among a list of 35 other Arabic words.
“Therefore, the question that Jais should discuss or negotiate with anyone that is suspected of committing a crime does not arise,” he said.
Zulkifli’s comments preceded the Selangor mentri besar’s announcement that the state Islamic religious agency must receive the state executive council’s approval for future raids.
In a bid to sooth non-Muslim anxiety, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim told a news conference yesterday that though Jais had the legal authority to conduct raids, it must get the state’s nod before carrying out its duty.
Zulkifli said those charged with breaking the law have a legal right to defend themselves in court, and argued that “the question of the infringement of their basic rights and right to defend themselves does not arise”.
He questioned the Christian community’s “stubborn” insistence on using the “Allah” word to describe their God, asking if they have “hidden agenda”.
He also suggested that Malaysian Muslim concerns took a backseat to the rights of the country’s minority Christians.
“Why is this issue not looked at from the Muslims’ perspective at all?
“Do Muslims in Malaysia no longer have rights in protecting their faith and our basic rights to profess and practise our faith in peace and harmony as provided for by the Federal Constitution?” Zulkifli asked.
He claimed that Malaysian Muslims have never stopped Christians from professing and practising their faith, and expressed pride at their community’s high tolerance towards the followers of other religions.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/laws-override-cabinets-10-point-deal-on-allah-says-perkasa-veep#sthash.4fseffEG.G2ClXH13.dpuf
Members of Perkasa and other Muslim NGOs outside the Court of Appeal, September 10, 2013. — Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA
LUMPUR, Jan 9 — As Putrajaya is pressed to uphold its 10-point solution
allowing Malaysian Christians the freedom to use “Allah” in their
worship, Datuk Zulkifli Noordin pointed out the country’s laws override
“government policy”.“Anyone with a little basic understanding of law will realise that government policies cannot breach, contradict or go against any laws of the country,” Zulkifli, a lawyer, said his blog post on Tuesday.
He pointed out that the much-touted Najib administration’s “10-Point Resolution is merely the government’s policy”, and stressed that policies that ran counter to the country’s laws “cannot be enforced”.
A long-simmering religious row between Malaysia’s dominant Muslim community and sizeable non-Muslim minorities bubbled up again after Selangor’s Islamic religious enforcers raided a bible importer’s office in Petaling Jaya and carted off over 300 copies of the Christian holy book in the Malay and Iban languages last week.
In his blog post, the former one-term Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP said the federal government has a right to impose restrictions or give leeway to importers, but was duty-bound to obey the country’s laws.
“And the country’s laws ban the use of a few words and certain words in any publication, including the word ‘Allah’,” he said.
Federal laws do not prohibit the word the Arabic word for God from any publication.
But several states, including Selangor, have passed laws that bar the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims under provisions that restrict the propagation of non-Islamic religions to Muslims.
Zulkifli also sought to defend the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), which has come under public scrutiny following its surprise raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) last Thursday, where it seized over 300 bibles in the Malay and Iban languages that contained the word “Allah”.
The Malay-Muslim rights activist argued that Jais was merely carrying out its duties to enforce the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988.
He pointed out that Section 9 of the state law makes it a criminal offence for non-Muslims to use “Allah”, among a list of 35 other Arabic words.
“Therefore, the question that Jais should discuss or negotiate with anyone that is suspected of committing a crime does not arise,” he said.
Zulkifli’s comments preceded the Selangor mentri besar’s announcement that the state Islamic religious agency must receive the state executive council’s approval for future raids.
In a bid to sooth non-Muslim anxiety, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim told a news conference yesterday that though Jais had the legal authority to conduct raids, it must get the state’s nod before carrying out its duty.
Zulkifli said those charged with breaking the law have a legal right to defend themselves in court, and argued that “the question of the infringement of their basic rights and right to defend themselves does not arise”.
He questioned the Christian community’s “stubborn” insistence on using the “Allah” word to describe their God, asking if they have “hidden agenda”.
He also suggested that Malaysian Muslim concerns took a backseat to the rights of the country’s minority Christians.
“Why is this issue not looked at from the Muslims’ perspective at all?
“Do Muslims in Malaysia no longer have rights in protecting their faith and our basic rights to profess and practise our faith in peace and harmony as provided for by the Federal Constitution?” Zulkifli asked.
He claimed that Malaysian Muslims have never stopped Christians from professing and practising their faith, and expressed pride at their community’s high tolerance towards the followers of other religions.
Members of Perkasa and other Muslim NGOs outside the Court of Appeal, September 10, 2013. — Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA
LUMPUR, Jan 9 — As Putrajaya is pressed to uphold its 10-point solution
allowing Malaysian Christians the freedom to use “Allah” in their
worship, Datuk Zulkifli Noordin pointed out the country’s laws override
“government policy”.“Anyone with a little basic understanding of law will realise that government policies cannot breach, contradict or go against any laws of the country,” Zulkifli, a lawyer, said his blog post on Tuesday.
He pointed out that the much-touted Najib administration’s “10-Point Resolution is merely the government’s policy”, and stressed that policies that ran counter to the country’s laws “cannot be enforced”.
A long-simmering religious row between Malaysia’s dominant Muslim community and sizeable non-Muslim minorities bubbled up again after Selangor’s Islamic religious enforcers raided a bible importer’s office in Petaling Jaya and carted off over 300 copies of the Christian holy book in the Malay and Iban languages last week.
In his blog post, the former one-term Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP said the federal government has a right to impose restrictions or give leeway to importers, but was duty-bound to obey the country’s laws.
“And the country’s laws ban the use of a few words and certain words in any publication, including the word ‘Allah’,” he said.
Federal laws do not prohibit the word the Arabic word for God from any publication.
But several states, including Selangor, have passed laws that bar the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims under provisions that restrict the propagation of non-Islamic religions to Muslims.
Zulkifli also sought to defend the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), which has come under public scrutiny following its surprise raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) last Thursday, where it seized over 300 bibles in the Malay and Iban languages that contained the word “Allah”.
The Malay-Muslim rights activist argued that Jais was merely carrying out its duties to enforce the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988.
He pointed out that Section 9 of the state law makes it a criminal offence for non-Muslims to use “Allah”, among a list of 35 other Arabic words.
“Therefore, the question that Jais should discuss or negotiate with anyone that is suspected of committing a crime does not arise,” he said.
Zulkifli’s comments preceded the Selangor mentri besar’s announcement that the state Islamic religious agency must receive the state executive council’s approval for future raids.
In a bid to sooth non-Muslim anxiety, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim told a news conference yesterday that though Jais had the legal authority to conduct raids, it must get the state’s nod before carrying out its duty.
Zulkifli said those charged with breaking the law have a legal right to defend themselves in court, and argued that “the question of the infringement of their basic rights and right to defend themselves does not arise”.
He questioned the Christian community’s “stubborn” insistence on using the “Allah” word to describe their God, asking if they have “hidden agenda”.
He also suggested that Malaysian Muslim concerns took a backseat to the rights of the country’s minority Christians.
“Why is this issue not looked at from the Muslims’ perspective at all?
“Do Muslims in Malaysia no longer have rights in protecting their faith and our basic rights to profess and practise our faith in peace and harmony as provided for by the Federal Constitution?” Zulkifli asked.
He claimed that Malaysian Muslims have never stopped Christians from professing and practising their faith, and expressed pride at their community’s high tolerance towards the followers of other religions.
Members of Perkasa and other Muslim NGOs outside the Court of Appeal, September 10, 2013. — Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA
LUMPUR, Jan 9 — As Putrajaya is pressed to uphold its 10-point solution
allowing Malaysian Christians the freedom to use “Allah” in their
worship, Datuk Zulkifli Noordin pointed out the country’s laws override
“government policy”.“Anyone with a little basic understanding of law will realise that government policies cannot breach, contradict or go against any laws of the country,” Zulkifli, a lawyer, said his blog post on Tuesday.
He pointed out that the much-touted Najib administration’s “10-Point Resolution is merely the government’s policy”, and stressed that policies that ran counter to the country’s laws “cannot be enforced”.
A long-simmering religious row between Malaysia’s dominant Muslim community and sizeable non-Muslim minorities bubbled up again after Selangor’s Islamic religious enforcers raided a bible importer’s office in Petaling Jaya and carted off over 300 copies of the Christian holy book in the Malay and Iban languages last week.
In his blog post, the former one-term Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP said the federal government has a right to impose restrictions or give leeway to importers, but was duty-bound to obey the country’s laws.
“And the country’s laws ban the use of a few words and certain words in any publication, including the word ‘Allah’,” he said.
Federal laws do not prohibit the word the Arabic word for God from any publication.
But several states, including Selangor, have passed laws that bar the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims under provisions that restrict the propagation of non-Islamic religions to Muslims.
Zulkifli also sought to defend the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), which has come under public scrutiny following its surprise raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) last Thursday, where it seized over 300 bibles in the Malay and Iban languages that contained the word “Allah”.
The Malay-Muslim rights activist argued that Jais was merely carrying out its duties to enforce the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988.
He pointed out that Section 9 of the state law makes it a criminal offence for non-Muslims to use “Allah”, among a list of 35 other Arabic words.
“Therefore, the question that Jais should discuss or negotiate with anyone that is suspected of committing a crime does not arise,” he said.
Zulkifli’s comments preceded the Selangor mentri besar’s announcement that the state Islamic religious agency must receive the state executive council’s approval for future raids.
In a bid to sooth non-Muslim anxiety, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim told a news conference yesterday that though Jais had the legal authority to conduct raids, it must get the state’s nod before carrying out its duty.
Zulkifli said those charged with breaking the law have a legal right to defend themselves in court, and argued that “the question of the infringement of their basic rights and right to defend themselves does not arise”.
He questioned the Christian community’s “stubborn” insistence on using the “Allah” word to describe their God, asking if they have “hidden agenda”.
He also suggested that Malaysian Muslim concerns took a backseat to the rights of the country’s minority Christians.
“Why is this issue not looked at from the Muslims’ perspective at all?
“Do Muslims in Malaysia no longer have rights in protecting their faith and our basic rights to profess and practise our faith in peace and harmony as provided for by the Federal Constitution?” Zulkifli asked.
He claimed that Malaysian Muslims have never stopped Christians from professing and practising their faith, and expressed pride at their community’s high tolerance towards the followers of other religions.
Members of Perkasa and other Muslim NGOs outside the Court of Appeal, September 10, 2013. — Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA
LUMPUR, Jan 9 — As Putrajaya is pressed to uphold its 10-point solution
allowing Malaysian Christians the freedom to use “Allah” in their
worship, Datuk Zulkifli Noordin pointed out the country’s laws override
“government policy”.“Anyone with a little basic understanding of law will realise that government policies cannot breach, contradict or go against any laws of the country,” Zulkifli, a lawyer, said his blog post on Tuesday.
He pointed out that the much-touted Najib administration’s “10-Point Resolution is merely the government’s policy”, and stressed that policies that ran counter to the country’s laws “cannot be enforced”.
A long-simmering religious row between Malaysia’s dominant Muslim community and sizeable non-Muslim minorities bubbled up again after Selangor’s Islamic religious enforcers raided a bible importer’s office in Petaling Jaya and carted off over 300 copies of the Christian holy book in the Malay and Iban languages last week.
In his blog post, the former one-term Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP said the federal government has a right to impose restrictions or give leeway to importers, but was duty-bound to obey the country’s laws.
“And the country’s laws ban the use of a few words and certain words in any publication, including the word ‘Allah’,” he said.
Federal laws do not prohibit the word the Arabic word for God from any publication.
But several states, including Selangor, have passed laws that bar the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims under provisions that restrict the propagation of non-Islamic religions to Muslims.
Zulkifli also sought to defend the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), which has come under public scrutiny following its surprise raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) last Thursday, where it seized over 300 bibles in the Malay and Iban languages that contained the word “Allah”.
The Malay-Muslim rights activist argued that Jais was merely carrying out its duties to enforce the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988.
He pointed out that Section 9 of the state law makes it a criminal offence for non-Muslims to use “Allah”, among a list of 35 other Arabic words.
“Therefore, the question that Jais should discuss or negotiate with anyone that is suspected of committing a crime does not arise,” he said.
Zulkifli’s comments preceded the Selangor mentri besar’s announcement that the state Islamic religious agency must receive the state executive council’s approval for future raids.
In a bid to sooth non-Muslim anxiety, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim told a news conference yesterday that though Jais had the legal authority to conduct raids, it must get the state’s nod before carrying out its duty.
Zulkifli said those charged with breaking the law have a legal right to defend themselves in court, and argued that “the question of the infringement of their basic rights and right to defend themselves does not arise”.
He questioned the Christian community’s “stubborn” insistence on using the “Allah” word to describe their God, asking if they have “hidden agenda”.
He also suggested that Malaysian Muslim concerns took a backseat to the rights of the country’s minority Christians.
“Why is this issue not looked at from the Muslims’ perspective at all?
“Do Muslims in Malaysia no longer have rights in protecting their faith and our basic rights to profess and practise our faith in peace and harmony as provided for by the Federal Constitution?” Zulkifli asked.
He claimed that Malaysian Muslims have never stopped Christians from professing and practising their faith, and expressed pride at their community’s high tolerance towards the followers of other religions.
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