PUTATAN: UPKO president Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok said the use of the term ‘Allah’ by Christians was no longer an issue, and Sabah could import Indonesian Bibles without any problem.
He said bibles printed in Indonesia could be brought in freely into Sabah and can even be re-printed.
In Peninsular Malaysia, similar bibles can also be brought in although it must be stamped with the words ‘A Christian Publication’ on the cover, he said during the UPKO Family Day and Open House Celebration 2012 yesterday.
Dompok also mentioned that Malaysians could now visit Jerusalem and that the country no longer imposed any quota on the number of Malaysians allowed to visit the Holy Land.
Meanwhile, he said the missionary school authority in Malaysia will probably have a discussion on its needs with the Education Ministry in January next year.
He said that among the issues that would be raised would probably be the choice of principals selected to serve in missionary schools in the country.
“I think they want an agreement on the choice of principals in the future. I think they want the choice of principal to require the approval of the school. There would be a discussion and a meeting of minds in the choice of principals in missionary schools. Missionary schools feel that this has not been the case,” he said.
Aside from the issue of principals selected to serve in missionary schools, the authority and the ministry would also be speaking on funding for the missionary schools.
“The government has been giving funds (to the schools) early in the year and the government is willing to look at the amount for mission schools ? these are some of the things they would want to discuss,” he said.