Penang Malay Congress wants Guan Eng to withdraw statement over the word ‘Allah’

(Bernama) – The Penang Malay Congress (KMPP) today urged Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to withdraw his call for the federal government to allow the use of the word “Allah” in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Christian Bible, and to apologise to all Muslims in the country.

Its president, Rahmad Isahak, said Lim’s statement had caused anger among Muslims and discomfort among non-Muslims, who cherished religious harmony in the country.

“Do not deride the word Allah with the aim of gaining sympathy in the political sense,” he said in a statement.

Rahmad said the statement by Lim, who is the DAP secretary-general, violated what was enshrined in the rules of the Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAINPP).

“At the level of the state government, the public knows that the State Islamic Religious Council had concluded that 40 words, including Allah, cannot be used by other religions, when the Pakatan Rakyat came to power and it was agreed to by the chief minister himself. Why must he violate something that had been agreed to?” he said.

Rahmad urged State Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and DAP vice-chairman Senator Dr Ariffin S.M. Omar to respond to Lim’s statement.