Church’s move to strike out government’s appeal lacks merit, says Hishammuddin
(TMI) – Putrajaya has taken the position that the Government’s 10-point solution in 2011 has nothing to do with its appeal to reverse a High Court ruling which allowed Christians to use the word “Allah” in the church newspaper, the Herald.
It said the Cabinet decision on April 11, 2011 was only to find ways to overcome problems relating to the import, printing, distribution and the use of the Bahasa Malaysia bible in the country.
“The 10-point solution in no way affects the appeal by the government on the usage of the word “Allah,” said former Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein in an affidavit in reply to an application by the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur to set aside the government’s appeal.
The Court of Appeal has fixed tomorrow to hear the Catholic church’s application to challenge the government ban on the word “Allah” to describe god in the church newspaper, the Herald.
Malay rights group Perkasa has threatened to hold a rally in Putrajaya tomorrow to support the government ban and called on Muslims to join in.
In his affidavit sighted by The Malaysian Insider, Hishammuddin said based on the 10-point solution, it was clear that the Church’s setting aside application was irrelevant, frivolous and lacked merit.
He said the Cabinet, in deciding on the 10-point solution, did not make a decision on the use of the word “Allah”.
“When we made the announcement, the government was aware that there was an appeal pending against the Herald,” he said.
