Chong Chieng Jen
KUCHING (Mar 20): The state government’s assurance over the freedom of Christians in Sarawak to use the word ‘Allah’ was ‘highly insufficient’, said Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen.
He said even if the statement Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg through Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) recently assured that it is not an issue in Sarawak, any decisions by the federal government regarding that matter would still affect Sarawakians.
“He (Abang Johari) was saying that in Sarawak this is no issue. But if we look at the demography there are more than 100,000 Sarawakians living in West Malaysia. Some of them (non-Muslims) since birth refer to God as ‘Allah’. Just because they are working in West Malaysia they have to change the terms that they refer to their God as all this while since birth.
“So what Abang Johari was saying in Sarawak this is not an issue, that is highly insufficient. You have passed them as the federal government, and that is what you get. This is something that affects Sarawakians, not only those staying in Sarawak but also Sarawakians staying in West Malaysia.
“They are directly affected and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is the one who passed the (current) federal government,” said Chong.
On March 18, the CMO Chief Minister’s Office issued a statement reminding Sarawakians that there was never any restriction for Christians in the state to use the word ‘Allah’.
It added that with reference to the various statements in the media on the ‘Allah’ issue, it has to be made clear that the GPS government from the time of former Chief Minister Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to former Chief Minister, the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem and now the current administration, the state policy on religious tolerance in Sarawak is consistent.
“The Muslims respect the Christians as much as the Christians respect the Muslims, and so forth with people of other religions.”
The GPS government will continue to defend and preserve Sarawak’s religious tolerance as it is the core unifying factor for the people in the state, the CMO added further.
“Our deeds in assisting other religions through the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) is testimony to this.
“It is understandable that certain quarters who are merely pseudo-champions – to use Tok Nan’s phraseology – are politicising the issue in view of the impending state elections.
“The GPS leadership trusts that the people will not be influenced by the tactic of casting doubt and aspersion on the government’s stance but continue to stand firm to protect religious unity in Sarawak,” the statement concluded.
On March 15, the federal government gave a notice that it would appeal against the High Court ruling that annulled a directive prohibiting Christians from using the word ‘Allah’ in their religious education and books.
The notice of appeal dated March 12 was filed at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya and copied to lawyers for Sarawakian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill who initiated the judicial review that led to the High Court ruling.
In that respect, Chong said the federal government should not have appealed because it is the constitutional rights of non-Muslims to freedom of religion.
He said even since before the formation of Malaysia, the word ‘Allah’ has been used by some Christians to refer to God.
“So it is only some fanatics who try to monopolise the use of that word, and it is regrettable that the federal government succumbed to the wishes of these groups, and that the federal government comprises of GPS which is more regrettable.
“The first level of regret is that the federal government succumbed to that wish. The second level of regret is that GPS is part of the government that decided to appeal against the court’s decision,” said Chong.
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