THE draft of a new administrative order on the use of the word “Allah” must be fair to all religions without any outright ban on the use of the word by non-Muslims, interfaith groups said.

Former Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism president R.S. Mohan Shan hopes the new order will favour all races.

“We are still unsure what this new order will be. We hope there is no ban on the use of the word.

“There is mention of the word ‘Allah’ in the Sikh religious book and even Hindus we are using the word in Tamil literature and a few devotional songs,” Mohan told The Malaysian Insight.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had said the draft will be presented to the Conference of Rulers soon, adding that five engagement sessions had been conducted on the use of the word.

“Its outcome was presented to the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs, chaired by Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

“The draft will also be presented at the Conference of Rulers from October 25 to 27,” Saifuddin said in the Dewan Rakyat.

Mohan, who is also former Hindu Sangam president, said it won’t be good to stop the people from using the word, because it’s in their religious books.

“So, how are we going to carry out our prayers? It is part of our worship.

“We hope there will be a decision that makes everyone happy.”

Meanwhile, senior clergyman Reverend Dr Herman Shastri said all other religions have been using the word for centuries.

“Whatever the government contends, it should take into account the rights of Christians to read their scriptures in the national language,” Herman said.

“It (Allah) is already in Sikh, Hindu scriptures and translation of the bible.

“Christians in Sabah and Sarawak use Bahasa Melayu. It’s in their bibles and through indigenous translations of the bible and in Christian literature.”

Herman, who was the deputy chairman of the Special Committee for Interfaith Understanding set up by cabinet from 2010 to 2020, said there is the constitutional provision of freedom of religion in the Federal Constitution (article 11).

“We hope the new order will not infringe upon religious freedom as provided for in the Federal Constitution (article 11), which includes reading of scriptures in whichever language one choses, a human right and right of religious freedom upheld by various religious communities down through the centuries.”

On May 15, Putrajaya withdrew its appeal to the court to prevent non-Muslims from using the word “Allah” to describe God in Malaysia.

The senior federal counsel representing the Attorney-General’s Chambers filed the notice of discontinuance.

“The appellants (the home minister and the government) do not intend to proceed with the notice of appeal which was filed on March 12, 2021 and dismiss the entire appeal without an order as to costs,” the notice, sighted by The Malaysian Insight, read.

This was after Putrajaya had filed an appeal over a High Court ruling that allowed non-Muslims to use the word “Allah” and three other words in the religious context.

Court of Appeal judge Nor Bee Ariffin, sitting as a High Court judge, made the ruling, after a 13-year legal battle between the government and Jill Ireland, a Christian woman from Sarawak.

Nor Bee, in her decision, called the Home Ministry’s 1986 directive to prohibit the use of the four words by non-Muslims 35 years ago “illegal” and “irrational”. – October 26, 2023.