A day after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak declared the 10-point solution was subject
to state enactments banning non-Muslims from using the word 'Allah',
constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari declares that they have no power
over non-Muslims.
"The jurisdiction of the states is on Islam while the rights of the non-Muslims are protected by the federal constitution.
"State enactments cannot override the rights of the non-Muslims enshrined in the Constitution and these include their right to religious freedom," he said in a statement today.
The 10-point solution or agreement was approved by the cabinet in 2011, allowing free use of Bibles with the word 'Allah' in Sabah and Sarawak while those in the peninsula must be embossed with "For Christians Only" stamp.
H
owever, Najib (left)
had said yesterday that the solution was subject to state enactments
banning non-Muslims from using the word 'Allah' which exist in most
peninsular states but Sabah and Sarawak were still free to use the word
in the absence of such state laws there.
Abdul Aziz added that some of the enactments went against the federal constitution.
"If the government was really committed to the contents of 10-point solution they would have abide by the federal constitution," he said.
He pointed out that the solution was meant to allay fears of non-Muslims ahead of the Sarawak state election of 2011.
"If the prime minister was really serious and meant what is stated in the 10-point solution they would not have appealed against the High Court decision in 2009," he said.
"The jurisdiction of the states is on Islam while the rights of the non-Muslims are protected by the federal constitution.
"State enactments cannot override the rights of the non-Muslims enshrined in the Constitution and these include their right to religious freedom," he said in a statement today.
The 10-point solution or agreement was approved by the cabinet in 2011, allowing free use of Bibles with the word 'Allah' in Sabah and Sarawak while those in the peninsula must be embossed with "For Christians Only" stamp.
H
owever, Najib (left)
had said yesterday that the solution was subject to state enactments
banning non-Muslims from using the word 'Allah' which exist in most
peninsular states but Sabah and Sarawak were still free to use the word
in the absence of such state laws there.Abdul Aziz added that some of the enactments went against the federal constitution.
"If the government was really committed to the contents of 10-point solution they would have abide by the federal constitution," he said.
He pointed out that the solution was meant to allay fears of non-Muslims ahead of the Sarawak state election of 2011.
"If the prime minister was really serious and meant what is stated in the 10-point solution they would not have appealed against the High Court decision in 2009," he said.
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