Important to keep long-standing religious and ethnic harmony in Malaysia, Mat Sabu says on dropping ‘Allah’ case appeal
Federal minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said today he believes that the country’s religious and ethnic harmony is paramount, following anger by some Muslims over Putrajaya’s decision to drop its appeal in the “Allah” court dispute with a Sarawakian Christian.
(MMO) – The agriculture and food security minister, popularly known as Mat Sabu, said it is important to keep the long-standing understanding and tolerance among the diverse communities in the country while at the same time being bound by laws and the Constitution.
“These concepts have been rooted from way back that made then Malaya and now Malaysia among the unique nations in the world.
“People of different ethnicities and religions co-exist to live together peacefully. The harmony enjoyed has even been touted as an example for other countries to emulate,” said Mohamad in a seven-minute YouTube video on the importance of understanding other ethnic groups.
The Kota Raja MP said the use of the word “Allah” by Malay-speaking non-Muslims should be dependent on the situation and contextual application.
He pointed out that in the village areas of Kelantan and Kedah, the common Islamic phrases such as MasyaAllah (God has willed it), Alhamdullilah (praise be to God) and InsyaAllah (God willing) are used by most Chinese when they are speaking with their Malay friends.
“Do they insult Islam when saying InsyaAllah? No, as it is part of the culture over there,” he explained.
“These are normal words used by the Chinese and even Indians in a respectful manner with the Malay community there. This is what has been happening in Malaysia all along,” he said.
However, Mohamad said he would leave it as a question of rights and the law when some Muslims alleged that only they have the right to use the word “Allah”.
