Those who have ventured forth with their responses in the other Malaysia generally appear upset with the "half solution" put forward on the Allah row now in court.
Allah, it is noted, is not a name for God but an attribute, God being God having no need for a name like humans and being beyond names.Allah, it is also noted, is not the only attribute of God, there being 999 other attributes of God according to the three Abrahamic religions i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
"If they want to kick up a fuss over the use of the term Allah for God by Christians in Malay print, what about the 999 other attributes of God?" they asked.
Senior Sabah PKR activist Dr Anthony Tibok pointed out that there is a fatwa from 2003 in Sabah against non-Muslims in the state using terms like "amin, nabi, injil and kitab although a fatwa cannot be made binding on non-Muslims."
Further, he wanted to know the federal government's stand on Sikhs in Sabah and Sarawak using the term Allah for God in other print (not Malay) as stated in their holy books.
"Half-measures are totally unacceptable," thundered Tibok.
"It is unjust and infringes on our rights. The federal government's position on Allah is unprecedented in the world and cannot stand. The Malay language does not belong to the Malays only," he said.
MP: Consider the matter settled
Kalabakan MP Abdul Ghapur Salleh was among a tiny minority urging Sabahans and Sarawakians to accept the 'half solution' and move on from there.
"It is recognition by the federal government that the word Allah has been in Christian use in Sabah and Sarawak from a long time ago in Malay print. This must come as great relief to Christians in both states," he said.Ghapur went on to thank the federal government for "understanding and appreciating the feelings and culture of Malaysians in Sabah and Sarawak".
He reiterated that Christians in Malaysian Borneo should consider the matter as settled.
"Let's not make issues like this threaten, what more destroy our brotherhood. We have been co-existing in great peace and harmony for so long.
"In Sabah, we have been sharing so many things together, be it culture, tradition, practices and even a few religions in many families," he said.
Ghapur did not touch on Christians in Peninsular Malaysia, the continued 'government prohibition' on Christians from Sabah and Sarawak in Peninsular Malaysia using the term Allah for God in Malay print or related anti-judiciary remarks by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.
The minister had vowed last Thursday that the federal government would not accept or follow even if the Courts of Appeal found it wrong on the Allah issue.
The High Court ruled on Dec 31 that the Home Ministry erred in the matter when it prohibited Christians from using the term Allah for God in Malay print and pointed out that Allah, which pre-dates Islam, is not exclusive to the religion.
Nazri comes under fire
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) secretary-general Wilfred Rata Nissom noted that Nazri had always been preaching about respect for the judiciary.
Hence, his remarks on the half-solution and barrage against the judiciary on the matter was a contradiction in terms.
"Nazri (right) showed total disrespect for Archbishop Murphy Pakiam although before this he has been advocating respect for others," fumed Nissom."The Home Ministry seems to be focusing on politics and the history in Peninsular Malaysia and not the theology of Allah," he said.
The Sabah Council of Churches (SCC) is equally troubled by the half-solution.
"We are unable to accept the concession that Christians in the two Malaysian Borneo states can continue to use the term Allah for God in Malay print.
"This is because Christians in Peninsular Malaysia are still prohibited by the Home Ministry under the Printing Presses Act," said SCC president Rev Jerry Dusing.
Dusing castigated Nazri's remarks as "illogical, inconsistent and untenable for East Malaysian Christians especially those residing in Peninsular Malaysia".
"The intended concession also goes against the spirit and intent of the 1Malaysia concept of forging unity and harmony within all races and religions by mutual respect and acceptance," said Dusing, adding that there should be no prohibition on the use of the term Allah "irrespective of geographical location".
'It's a blessing we're separated'
The Sibu-based Borneo Post, in an occasional editorial today, noted that "the Allah genie has been released from the bottle" and putting it back "will be insurmountable".
The newspaper urged that all parties step back from the brink and "live and let live".
"It is a blessing that we are separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the vast expanse of the South China Sea," he wrote. "We should struggle hard that the pernicious weed of bigotry will never cross those waters."
Former Sabah state attorney-general Herman Luping is among the many who were non-committal on the Allah 'concession' for Malaysian Borneo.
He urged everybody to refer to the Charter for Compassion which was launched on Nov 12, 2009 in several cities around the world including in Malaysia by eminent religious scholar Karen Armstrong.
"The views submitted by the world's citizens including myself and Just World president Chandra Muzaffar have found expression in the Council of Conscience," said Luping who is also a member of Just World.
"God comes first," opined KK Tan who runs a think tank and management consultancy in Kota Kinabalu. "By saying that any religion comes first, we are saying that national unity is secondary."
Amde Sidik, a university law lecturer and author, hates to be included in "the race" just because he is a Muslim.
"Must it take 50 years for people in Peninsular Malaysia to realise that Christians in Malaysia Borneo use the term Allah for God?" he asked in disbelief. "We use it without bothering about who holds the copyright."
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