ACS alarmed by fed govt’s stand on usage of ‘Allah’

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KUCHING: The Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) is deeply concerned with the stand of the federal government on the issue involving a

Bumiputera Christian   of   Sarawak during her travel at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang.

According to a statement issued to The Borneo Post, the case of Jill Ireland involves the wrongful seizure of several Christian CDs bearing the word ‘Allah’ by the authorities during her travel at the LCCT.

Although the items were meant for her personal use and practice of her religion, Ireland had to go to the extent to file a Court action and waited six years before the Court ordered the wrongfully-seized Christian CDs to be returned to her.

“This clearly shows the plight and anguish that Bumiputera Christians have to face and endure when practising their religion in accordance with their constitutional rights,” the statement said.

“Further, the contention by the representative of Mais (Selangor Islamic Religious Council) that the use of the word ‘Allah’ in Bahasa Malaysia (BM) Bibles to describe God is incorrect and to be renamed and correctly translated by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka goes against the very grain of the right of religious freedom and the 10-point solution,” it stated.

The ACS called on the federal government to uphold the constitutional right of religious freedom guaranteed to the people of Sabah and Sarawak in the sacred constitutional documents and Malaysia Agreement, 1963 (MA63) and implement the 10-point solution justly and lift the ban on the usage of the word ‘Allah’ in BM Bibles and all Christian materials.