DPM urges calm over ‘Allah’ issue

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (picture) today urged Malaysians not to make rash statements regarding the High Court decision allowing the use of the word “Allah” in the Catholic weekly Herald.

His statement came as more than 30,000 accounts signed up in a Facebook page to pressure the government to reverse the Dec 31 court ruling.

The government has said it will appeal against Justice Datuk Lau Bee Lan's judgment that the weekly had a constitutional right to use “Allah” to describe the Christian God in the national language.

Islamist party PAS will meet tonight to make its official stand on the issue after several leaders gave differing views.

A number of Muslim Malaysians have also criticised their co-religionists who support the Herald's right to use “Allah”.