Tee Keat: No comment on ‘Allah’ issue

Written by Yong Min Wei, The Edge  

MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat today declined to be drawn into the debate to use the word “Allah” following the High Court ruling, and has no plans to issue a statement on the subject.

Ong also sidestepped a question whether the statement issued by the MCA political education bureau on the battle to use “Allah” reflected the party’s stand, stressing that it was best for media representatives instead to contact the particular bureau chief for further comment.

“The party is not run by one person, sometimes we have to share out the burden,” he told a press conference after inspecting RapidKL’s fourth set of four-car trains for the Kelana Jaya LRT line.

Ong said leaders of the party were assigned with different tasks and it was only appropriate for them to disclose their job function and jurisdiction instead of the president himself doing the talking.

“If the bureaus come out with statements, then you refer to the bureau concern.

“Today, I want to focus on the national interest,” he stressed.

On Monday, MCA spokesperson and political education bureau chairman Gan Ping Sieu issued a statement that MCA was taken aback by certain ethnic and religious-based non-governmental organisations whose demonstration in Penang and Kuala Lumpur and police reports lodged over the “Allah” ruling would hinder worshipers of other faiths to profess their religion freely.

He said the High Court ruling that allowed Herald to use the word “Allah” in its publication was a matter of law and should remain as such. The bureau chairman also said MCA called upon all groups to respect the way of life of bumiputra Christians and Sikh Malaysians, and not remove their constitutional rights.