23-5-2023 (Kuala Lumpur) Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on Tuesday (May 23) that the government will take steps to streamline conflicting regulations regarding the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims. This move aims to align the regulations with the earlier decision made by the Malay rulers, which prohibits the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims in the Peninsula but allows conditional usage in the Borneo states.
During the Minister’s Question Time (MQT) session in parliament, Mr. Anwar emphasized the need for the government to ensure that the regulations do not contradict the decisions made by the Malay rulers. He stated, “What needs to be done… is for the government to streamline (the rules) so that there are no regulations that are seen to be in conflict with the decisions of the Malay rulers.” Mr. Anwar further affirmed that the government fully complies with the rulings of the Malay rulers.
Mr. Anwar’s statements came in response to a query from Mr. Idris Ahmad, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bagan Serai, seeking clarification on Mr. Anwar’s previous comments regarding the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims in the state of Sarawak, located in East Malaysia.
Looking ahead, Mr. Anwar informed parliament that the streamlining process, which has been presented to and approved by the king, involves amending or removing certain aspects of the existing regulations. He also mentioned that a proposal to improve the regulations pertaining to the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims will be presented at the Conference of Rulers meeting scheduled for July.
Furthermore, Mr. Anwar explained, “What was decided by the court (in 2021), whether it is the court in Borneo or the high court here, is based on two conflicting rules which are the Ministry of Home Affairs rules that were made before (in 1986).” This statement referred to a ruling on March 10, 2021, by the Kuala Lumpur High Court, which granted Christians the right to use the word “Allah” and three other Arabic words – Baitullah (house of God), solat (pray), and Kaabah (the building at the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca) – in their religious publications for educational purposes.
The court’s ruling followed an application for judicial review made by Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, a Christian woman from Sarawak. Ms. Bill sought the return of eight compact discs (CDs) containing the word “Allah,” which were confiscated from her on May 11, 2008. Additionally, she requested a declaration of her constitutional rights to use the word “Allah” in her Christian publications.
Under the Cabinet Directive of 1986, Christians were allowed to utilize the Arabic words in their publications, provided they carried the words “For Christians” on the cover. However, the Administrative Directive issued by the Home Affairs Ministry in the same year prohibited the use of these words in all Christian publications nationwide.
On March 12, 2021, the federal government initially appealed against the ruling, but on May 15, 2023, the appeal was withdrawn, leading to further debates on the matter. Questions were raised regarding whether the Malay rulers and state religious councils were properly consulted in this decision-making process.
Addressing the concerns, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim assured the parliament that the issue of consultation did not arise, implying that relevant parties had been involved. He further clarified that the withdrawal of the appeal was aimed at strengthening the regulations to prevent future conflicts from reaching the courts.
“The Attorney-General believes that the case is weak due to the regulations set by the Home Affairs Ministry,” stated Anwar. “After consulting with the King, we made the decision to withdraw the appeal in order to improve and streamline the regulations. By doing so, we aim to eliminate any contradictions and ensure that there are no future legal disputes surrounding this matter.”
