Resolve ‘Allah’ issue quickly, former AG urges Federal Court
V. Anbalagan, TMI
A retired attorney general wants Malaysia’s Federal Court to convene quickly proceedings on the “Allah” row to bring finality to the matter and “prevent injustice to pass by.”
Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman (pic) said the issue was of great public importance and the apex court should act now instead of watching events taking shape.
“It is amazing that the Federal Court is watching from the sidelines an issue of national interest. You cannot allow injustice to pass by.
“If not handled properly, it could lead to undermining the country’s political stability and unity of the people,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
Abu Talib, who was AG between 1980 and 1993, said as such, the key to the current problem was a decision from the Federal Court.
He said this in reaction to events that have unfolded since last Thursday where a coalition of Malay-Muslim groups had said that they would gather at a church in Klang to deliver a memorandum protesting against the Christians’ insistence on using the word “Allah”.
Herald editor Reverend Father Lawrence Andrew, who had earlier made a statement that churches in Selangor would continue to use the word, despite a Court of Appeal ruling and a decree by the Selangor sultan.
Last Thursday’s seizure of more than 300 copies of Bahasa Malaysia and Iban Bibles by the Selangor Religious Affairs Department (Jais) further strained ties between Muslims and Christians.
Abu Talib said the apex court should expedite hearing the case since there was no stay of the judgment of the Court of Appeal which set aside the High Court order.
He added that the Catholic Church had also filed its leave application to appeal against the Court of Appeal ruling.
“So why drag your feet to adjudicate a religious issue?”
