SIB case over use of the word ‘Allah’ to be heard on June 24

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KUALA LUMPUR: The Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) has failed to reach an out-of-court settlement with the Home Ministry concerning the use of the word ‘Allah’ in its Christian books.High Court Judge Datuk Aziah Ali set June 24 for hearing on the SIB’s, also known as the Evangelical Church of Borneo, and its president Pastor Jerry W A Dusing’s leave applications for a judicial review to challenge the Home Ministry and the government over the use of the word ‘Allah’.

Senior Federal Counsel Datin Azizah Nawawi, representing the Home Ministry and the government, told the media that the judge ordered SIB to submit written submission on May 14 and on May 27 for them to file the submission in reply.

The SIB and Dusing were represented by counsel Bobby Chew and Lim Heng Seng.

They had filed the leave applications on Dec 10, 2007 to contest the seizure of six boxes of Christian educational publications shipped from Indonesia by the Customs Department at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Sepang in August that year.

However, the confiscated books were returned to the church on Jan 25, 2008.

Following that, they withdrew some of their declarations in the leave application to challenge the seizure of the book, and would focus on the issue of the policy that no other religion could import books with the word ‘Allah’.

In the application they sought a declaration that they had the constitutional right to use the word ‘Allah’ in  all  their religious publications and practices, and not just within the church.

Royal Customs and Excise Department officers had confiscated eight religious books brought in by the church from Indonesia for its Sunday classes for children.  — Bernama