Allah ruling: Cabinet to submit proposal to the Conference of Rulers
PUTRAJAYA - The Cabinet has been granted consent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to present a proposal to strengthen the enforcement policies regarding the use of the word Allah to the Conference of Rulers.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said it was to resolve the issue in a comprehensive and integrated manner.
Anwar added it was also to simultaneously strengthen the unity and harmony between all races and religions in this country.
Anwar said the Cabinet is aware that the Attorney-General Chambers' (AG) decision to withdraw the appeal against Jill Ireland's case of using the word “Allah” in her religious education was due to administrative issues and does not change the Federal Court ruling in 2014.
"The government respects, recognise and adopts the enactment of the states and the order of Al Sultan Abdullah on Feb 7 which was to maintain the existing policy regarding the use of the word Allah," he said in a statement today.
He stressed that the government will always uphold the Federal Constitution, especially Article 3 which states Islam as the federal religion and that other religions can be practiced in peace and harmony.
It was previously reported that the government and the Home Ministry had withdrew the appeal on the High Court's decision stating Christians could use the word Allah, Baitullah, Kaabah and solat in their Christian religious publications for educational purposes.
Various parties had criticised the decision and asked the government to give an explanation.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court made the decision on March 10, 2021 after allowing a judicial review application filed by a Sarawakian Christian woman named Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill who requested a declaration of her constitutional rights to use the word Allah.
Yesterday, the Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Ministry had decided to withdraw the appeal due to civil and administrative legal issues in confiscating the publication materials, and not the issue of using the word Allah.
