Still unclear about “Allah”

By Ding Jo-Ann | 06 August 2010 | The Nut Graph

1 Aug 2010: Hishammuddin “regrets” the “Allah” ban

“We should have let the sleeping dogs lie. It was triggered by those that believed that the word ‘Allah’ should not be used in Sabah and Sarawak.”

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, expressing regret that his ministry had banned Catholic newspaper Herald‘s use of “Allah” to refer to God during Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar’s tenure. He said the decision would continue to haunt his ministry “for a very long time”. (Source: Hishammuddin says regrets “Allah” ban, The Malaysian Insider, 1 Aug 2010)
2 Aug: MCA and DAP call for the “Allah” ban to be rescinded

“MCA therefore urges Dato’ Seri Hishamuddin to use all the authority vested in him as Home Minister to rescind the ban. By doing so, the Home Minister will be respected as a BN leader who looks after rights and interests of all Malaysians, including protecting the constitutional rights of minorities.”
“MCA therefore reiterates our position on ‘Allah’, i.e.:
1) No confusion arises when one’s spiritual conviction is strong
2) Nobody can copyright ‘Allah’ nor claim monopoly
3) Historical fact that ‘Allah’ predates Islam.”

MCA central committee member and publicity bureau deputy chairperson Loh Seng Kok in a press statement, calling for the ban on “Allah” to be rescinded. (Source: Rescind the “Allah” ban – MCA Publicity Bureau to Home Minister, mca.org.my, 2 Aug 2010)

“The Cabinet should make a decision to withdraw the appeal against the High Court judgment of Lau Bee Lan on the Allah controversy now that Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has admitted that his predecessor, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, should not have banned the word ‘Allah’ from being used by the Catholic Church.”

DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, calling for the cabinet to withdraw its appeal against the High Court decision allowing Herald to use the word “Allah” in its publication, following Hishammuddin’s remarks. (Source: Cabinet should make a decision to withdraw the appeal against Lau Bee Lan judgment on the Allah controversy, Lim Kit Siang for Malaysia, 2 Aug 2010)
3 Aug 2010: Muhyiddin: Stop bringing up “Allah”

“Attention should be given to such considerations. I don’t understand why the DAP and MCA are taking a common stand on such matters.
“We know that this matter had previously been strongly debated and had created an unhealthy situation.”

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, saying the issue on the use of “Allah” should not be revived as the appeal was pending in court. He said raising the issue could become a burden, especially when the matter had already cooled off. He also cautioned Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties from further discussing the matter. (Source: “Kalimah Allah” Issue Should Not Be Revived – Muhyiddin, Bernama, 3 Aug 2010)
3 Aug 2010: MCA U-turns and Hishammuddin backtracks

“We are not making the same stand with DAP. We only want the BN government to resolve the issue as soon as possible so that it will not be further exploited by the opposition.”

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, denying that the MCA was taking the same stand as the DAP on the “Allah” issue.  (Source: MCA makes U-turn over Allah row, Malaysiakini, 3 Aug 2010)

“Why would the government retract the appeal, or why would the church retract the court case? It applies both ways, you know.”
“There could be also a request for the church to drop the case, as much as there is a request for the government to drop the appeal … let the courts decide because that is the process.”

Hishammuddin, denying that his expression of “regret” over the “Allah” ban meant the government would retract its appeal. (Source: Gov’t has no reason to drop “Allah” appeal, Malaysiakini, 3 Aug 2010)

“If we say regret [and] it’s an issue, you can look at it in many ways if you want to indulge in polemics.
“I regret that there are terrorists in Malaysia, I regret there are peragut (snatch-thieves) in Malaysia, I regret that this (word ‘Allah’) is becoming an issue … but why pick on that to make it a firestorm or bigger than what it is?
“There are many regrets [over what] we do, but whether or not I regret is out of my control because it is in the courts.”

Hishammuddin, trying to explain to reporters what he meant when he said he “regretted” the “Allah” ban. (Source: Govt has no reason to drop “Allah” appeal, Malaysiakini, 3 Aug 2010)