The term “Allah” should not be used by non-Muslims, say 77% of Malays polled by Universiti Malaya’s Centre for Democracy and Elections (UMCEDEL).
"The issue of Allah is still sensitive in the peninsula. Regardless of their political beliefs, it is obvious that Malays still think that the term 'Allah' is exclusive to Muslims," said UMCEDEL director Prof Datuk Dr Redzuan Othman.
The poll also showed that the same number of Malay respondents disagreed that Christians in Sabah and Sarawak could use the term.
The survey, conducted from December 6 to 8, covering only the peninsula also showed that a mere 11% of the Malays polled agreed to the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims. On October 14, 2013, a three-man panel of judges in the Court of Appeal overturned a 2009 landmark High Court judgment allowing the Catholic Church to use the word “Allah” in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its weekly Herald.
According to the leading judge’s grounds of judgment, the use of the word “Allah” was exclusive to Muslims and not integral to Christian worship, contrary to the church’s arguments that the word was irreplaceable and vital to their religious doctrine.
Two-thirds of Christians in Malaysia are Bumiputera, who are largely based in Sabah and Sarawak and number some 1.6 million.
The Catholic church has applied for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal ruling.
The Federal Court has fixed the leave application for hearing on February 24.
The church had filed its leave application on November 12 by submitting questions on the Federal Constitution, administrative law, as well as the power of the court to allow the minister to ban the use of a theological word.
The constitutional questions framed by the church lawyers were to debate on Islam as the religion of the federation, freedom of speech and religion, and the right to religious education.
The questions on administrative law centred on the home minister and his powers.
They also said that the home minister's decision to ban the Herald from using the word “Allah” was illegal and irrational. – The Malaysian Insider
"The issue of Allah is still sensitive in the peninsula. Regardless of their political beliefs, it is obvious that Malays still think that the term 'Allah' is exclusive to Muslims," said UMCEDEL director Prof Datuk Dr Redzuan Othman.
The poll also showed that the same number of Malay respondents disagreed that Christians in Sabah and Sarawak could use the term.
The survey, conducted from December 6 to 8, covering only the peninsula also showed that a mere 11% of the Malays polled agreed to the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims. On October 14, 2013, a three-man panel of judges in the Court of Appeal overturned a 2009 landmark High Court judgment allowing the Catholic Church to use the word “Allah” in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its weekly Herald.
According to the leading judge’s grounds of judgment, the use of the word “Allah” was exclusive to Muslims and not integral to Christian worship, contrary to the church’s arguments that the word was irreplaceable and vital to their religious doctrine.
Two-thirds of Christians in Malaysia are Bumiputera, who are largely based in Sabah and Sarawak and number some 1.6 million.
The Catholic church has applied for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal ruling.
The Federal Court has fixed the leave application for hearing on February 24.
The church had filed its leave application on November 12 by submitting questions on the Federal Constitution, administrative law, as well as the power of the court to allow the minister to ban the use of a theological word.
The constitutional questions framed by the church lawyers were to debate on Islam as the religion of the federation, freedom of speech and religion, and the right to religious education.
The questions on administrative law centred on the home minister and his powers.
They also said that the home minister's decision to ban the Herald from using the word “Allah” was illegal and irrational. – The Malaysian Insider
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