YOURSAY 'So Muslims in East Malaysia are smarter than those in West Malaysia - that they are not going to be confused by other faiths using ‘Allah'?'

Sabah, Sarawak Christians free to use 'Allah', says gov't

Anonymous #039163649: Good God, Lord Krishna (the safest name to use), I have never seen such a study in contradictions.

The court says Christians cannot use the term 'Allah' in publications. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Joseph Kurup says the cabinet says they can use, presumably as damage control to avoid being a laughing stock internationally.

Can the cabinet overrule the court, is this contempt of court? Aren't the courts entitled to conduct business without interference either from the legislature or executive?

At the same time, Johor Islamic Council adviser Nooh Gadut said Muslims who disagree with the court ruling are murtad (apostate), so this means the cabinet is murtad along with all the many other critics. So many contradictions.

Onyourtoes: Kurup, you think you have done your job - according to you, Christians in Sabah and Sarawak can use the word 'Allah' in the scripture. But can't you see they cannot use it in The Herald, their newsletter?

Tomorrow if another Christian publication uses the word 'Allah', would that publication be banned as well? So Christians can read their Bible and learn about their 'Allah' but they cannot write and discuss about it even among Christians? Ten-point agreement my posterior.

SusahKes: Is this another divide-and-rule method employed by Umno? Keep their safe deposit votebank happy, but Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christians and minorities in the peninsula are damned?

The Court of Appeal's judgment clearly implies that the use of 'Allah' is limited to Muslims - throughout Malaysia. But is the cabinet now coming out to override the court's verdict? What's the point of having a Court of Appeal then?

And Kurup, where is your big boss Prime Minister Najib Razak? Why couldn't he come out and state it publicly? He still has one eye on this weekend's Umno elections, doesn't he? Is he still spending too much time inside the make-up room to look good for the Umno AGM?

Speechless: What is the rationale for allowing East Malaysian Christians to use the word 'Allah', but banning peninsular Christians from doing so? Are we two separate countries? Does it mean that the Court of Appeal ruling only applies to Peninsular Malaysia?

Is the government now saying that only Muslims in peninsular Malaysia will be confused if Christians use the word 'Allah', and that the Muslims in East Malaysia are a lot smarter?

What happens when a Muslim from Kuala Lumpur decides to live in Kuching: does he turn from 'confused' to 'not confused'? Similarly, what happens when a Muslim from Kuching decides to live in Kuala Lumpur: does he turn from 'not confused' to 'confused'?

The government needs to consider the impact of its decisions. It is not as simple as changing things with the stroke of a pen.

MockingYou: Cowardly bunch - it's too late for damage control and they are creating more damaging now as the executive is clearly shown to be not respecting the judiciary. Your turn to chew and swallow the race and religion card.

AnakMalaysiaBaru: What a stupid statement from Kurup. The executive says 'Allah' "can be used" while the judiciary say it is forbidden. In fact, it was the executive that appealed to the higher court against the 2009 decision.

What is the difference between Christians and Muslims in Sabah/Sarawak and those in the peninsula?

People Power: They start the fire, now they're trying to put it out. The matter is not which part in Malaysia you are from.

Antoine Ross: If ‘Allah' can be used among Christians in Sabah and Sarawak, it shows that there is really no legal rationale for banning the use of the word by Christians in the first place.

It also suggests that the issue is politically motivated rather than one that arises out of real concern for the faith of the Muslims. Does it make sense that a Malay-speaking Christian is allowed to refer to God as ‘Allah' when in Sabah and Sarawak, but he must stop doing so once he steps into Peninsular Malaysia?

If there is anything really wrong with the use of the word by Christians then the ban must be applied to the whole nation. The inconsistency in applying the "law" reveals the absurdity of the ban.

Versey: Could it be that some smart Alec is trying to emulate the ‘One country, two systems' formulated by Deng Xiaoping with a 50-year pledge to uphold capitalism and democracy in Hong Kong?

If so, does it mean the privileges enjoyed by East Malaysians such as religious freedom is only for certain number of years?

Stories: How can the cabinet refuse to make a clear stand on this issue? Now that the judgment is what they wanted (or didn't get the desired effect), they make a stand. It is just ridiculous how the leadership flips around so fast.

Malaccan: So the constitutional rights of Christians in Malaysia, generally, and Christians in East Malaysia specifically, are at the discretion and goodwill of the cabinet? We are no longer under the protection of the constitution?

The cabinet can give and it can take away these rights depending on how Christians behave and vote perhaps? Hopefully East Malaysian Christians are not sold on this.

Wong Jiang Fung: Joseph Kurup, no matter what the cabinet decides, the court's ruling still stands. A directive by the executive cannot overrule a court's decision.

Even if you say Christians are free to use 'Allah' today, it is still illegal to use it. Unless you help the church to successfully appeal at the Federal Court.

Whatsup: So, the three judges at the Court of Appeal have proven to have made not only an erroneous but nonsensical judgment with this about-turn, since it can be ignored and applied selectively.

So, Mr Judge, is it or is it "not an integral part of the faith and practice of Christianity?" Your judgment is a big joke since the Umno government is not even following it. What do you three have to say about that?

2zzzxxx: Now the cabinet is above the Court of Appeal. Interesting. So why do we need the courts?

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