KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA is urging the Home Ministry to repeal the ban on the use of "Allah" by Christians to undo the damage done by the controversy, which some non-Malay Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders claim was the reason for the declining Chinese and Indian support.
Loh Seng Kok, the deputy chairman of MCA publicity bureau, said today Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein should repeal the ban since he is aware that it has turned into a divisive national issue, which can become an Archilles heel against the BN.
"MCA therefore urges the minister to use all the authority vested in him to rescind the ban," Loh said in a statement today.
"By doing so, he will be respected as a BN leader who looks after rights and interests of all Malaysians, including protecting the constitutional rights of minorities.
"Moreover, by withdrawing the prohibition, he will be able to defuse the controversy which has already been politicised unnecessarily," Loh said.
Hishammuddin said yesterday the ban on the use of "Allah", which he blamed on his predecessor Syed Hamid Albar, will haunt his ministry "for a very long time", adding that it should not have been prohibited.
Syed Hamid had imposed the ban on The Herald, the newspaper for the Catholic church, forbidding it to use "Allah" in its publication two years ago.
The ban was backed by hardline Islamic scholars who claimed the use of the word outside an Islamic context would cause confusion to Muslims. It subsequently spiralled out of control and became fodder for both sides of the political divide, leaving the nation split over the matter.
'Different levels of maturity'
However, Hishammuddin insisted that the Catholic Church now fully understands the rationale behind the ban, saying that it "understood fully that there are different levels of maturity and understanding in our constituents".
MCA, however, felt that the time has come for the ministry to rescind the ban, given the backdrop of a BN struggling to regain non-Malay support.
It also echoed the point raised by the opposition that the word "Allah" has been traditionally used by other religions.
"MCA therefore reiterates its position on the 'Allah' issue: no confusion will arise when one’s spiritual conviction is strong, and that nobody can copyright 'Allah' or claim monopoly or (dispute) the historical fact that 'Allah' predates Islam," said Loh.
“We also urge the home ministry to allow the importation of the Al-Kitab and other religious materials... so long as the printed materials contain the words 'Christian publication' and carry an image of the 'cross'," Loh said.
On Dec 31, 2009, the Catholic Church won a landmark court ruling upholding its constitutional right to print the word “Allah” in its newspaper but a government application to stay the ruling has prolonged the case.
The Court of Appeal has yet to indicate when it will get the case going.
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