STOP twisting the facts on the usage of the word “Allah” just to deceive people, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Anwar was responding to Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang-PN) who interrupted the start of the Prime Minister’s Question Time by calling for the Tambun lawmaker to be referred to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee for allegedly issuing contradictory statements and misleading the august house.

“What is contradictory? You want to twist things, you want to deceive the people for what reason?

“Are you trying to gain political advantage? Don’t cheat,” Anwar responded to the allegation.

Zulkafperi was referring to a statement made by the prime minister on May 23, where he claimed the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was consulted in the Home Ministry’s decision to withdraw its appeal of the High Court’s ruling in relation to the use of the word “Allah” and three Arabic words in the publication of other religious materials.

The Tanjong Karang MP said a June 7 statement from Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah instead showed the government had not consulted the Council of Rulers before withdrawing the appeal.

He said the statement from the Selangor ruler suggested that the issue be brought to the Malaysian National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) in August.

In response to the allegation, Anwar explained that Sultan Sharafuddin’s order did not refer to the government’s action to withdraw the appeal in the case of Jill Ireland against the Home Ministry and the government in the Court of Appeal.

“Instead, His Majesty’s order refers to the government’s efforts to streamline the current regulations regarding the use of the word ‘Allah’ in the peninsula and in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

The Pakatan Harapan chairman also confirmed that the government’s decision to withdraw the appeal on the “Allah” issue in court was relayed to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong through a phone call, which he said was witnessed by the entire cabinet on February 7.

On May 15, the Home Ministry and the government withdrew an appeal against the decision of the High Court, which ruled Christians can use the four Arabic words in their religious publications for educational purposes.

Anwar said the government’s decision to withdraw the appeal against the case was made after consulting the king.

Anwar said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had ruled any decision made must be in line with the Conference of Rulers’ prohibition of the word “Allah” from being used by Christians in the peninsula, while giving leeway for those in East Malaysia.

Last week, Anwar agreed with a proposal to bring the “Allah” usage issue to the MKI in August before it is taken to the Conference of Rulers in October. – June 13, 2023.