Malaysia to appeal against court decision on 'Allah'

Malaysia’s minister in charge of Muslim affairs Maj-Gen (Rtd) Jamil Khir Baharomin said he would meet the NGOs’ representatives soon to hear their views and to discuss the matter further with them.

The Prime Minister’s Department in association with the Home Ministry, will appeal against the recent High Court decision, he said.

Jamil Khir Baharomin was responding to the High Court’s decision on Thursday which allowed the Catholic publication Hearld Weekly to use the word “Allah”.
Judge Lau Bee Lian had ruled that the use of the word was constitutional, as long as the periodical was confined to educating Christians.

On February 16 last year, Archbishop Murphy Pakiam filed for a judicial review on the use of the word Allah in the church’s publications, naming the Home Ministry and the government as respondents.

He  said the word Allah was not exclusive to the religion of Islam.