KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman will leave it to the Federal Government to handle the issue over the use of the word “Allah”, says Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani (pic).
“We will leave it to the government to manage the matter as I believe there will be a briefing for the Conference of Rulers on this matter,” he told reporters after a high-tea event with members of the media in Bukit Aman on Thursday (May 18).
He was asked to comment on the views of the police on the issue following the government’s withdrawal of the appeal against a High Court decision over the use of the word “Allah” in Christian publications for educational purposes.
Earlier, it was reported on Thursday (May 18) that the Cabinet will present to the Conference of Rulers the government’s proposal to strengthen policies with regard to the use of the word “Allah”. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who announced this, said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had consented for the Cabinet to do so in order to resolve the issue comprehensively.
On May 15, the government withdrew its appeal against the High Court decision, which allowed the word “Allah”, among others, to be used by non-Muslims in publications for educational purposes.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had said that the ministry had carefully examined the decision of the Kuala Lumpur High Court of March 10, 2021, and found that there was a contradiction in the administrative instructions which caused the decision to favour a Sarawakian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill.
On March 10, 2021, Justice Nor Bee Ariffin, who is now a Court of Appeal judge, ruled that a 1986 Home Ministry directive to prohibit the use of the words Allah, “Baitullah”, “Kaabah” and “solat” by non-Muslims was illegal and unconstitutional.
This follows the court’s decision to allow a judicial review for Jill Ireland, a Christian of Melanau descent, to uphold the constitutional right to practise her religion.
Jill Ireland initiated legal action in 2008 when eight CDs she had brought in from Indonesia were confiscated by Customs officers at an airport in Sepang as they contained the word “Allah”.
She then filed for a judicial review to challenge the seizure of the CDs as well as asking declarations from the court that her constitutional rights were violated, among others.
In 2014, the High Court ordered the Home Ministry to return the CDs to her but did not address the constitutional points as it was bound by a Federal Court ruling.
The order to return the CDs was upheld by the Court of Appeal the following year, but she proceeded with her challenge on the Home Ministry’s directive that resulted in the forfeiture.
