SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government has asked the State Islamic Religious Department (Jais) to prepare a detailed report on the raid at the Bible Society of Malaysia’s premises and seizure of several Bibles in the Malay language and Iban last Thursday.
State Islamic Affairs, Agriculture Modernisation and Rural Development Committee chairman, Sallehen Mukhyi in a statement said that Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had also asked the State Secretary to immediately study and review the operation conducted by Jais.
“This is to ensure that Jais enforcement officers follow the standard operating procedure set, and appropriate action will be taken if there was negligence or violation of the standard procedure when conducting the raid and seizure.
“This needs to be done as the raid and seizure reflect on the administration involving a state government department and its officers,” he said.
Sallehen said the state government viewed the incident seriously and it was the second involving Jais after its surprise check on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church last year.
He said following the first incident, the state government had asked Jais to draw up a standard operating procedure to be used in handling sensitive issues to avoid prejudice and misunderstanding.
Sallehen said he would also be meeting with The Herald Weekly editor, Father Lawrence Andrew on Tuesday to discuss the issue of the ban on using the word ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims in their scriptures as ordered by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
Therefore, he said, all quarters must respect Islam as the official religion of the country but non-Muslims were free to practise their religious faith as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
“Everyone in Selangor, regardless of race and religion, must adhere to this provision to preserve harmony, cooperation and mutual respect which have existed among us for a very long time,” he said. — Bernama