The government has reversed its short-lived ban on the Herald’s Malay language supplement – but the weekly Catholic tabloid will still not be able to use the term “Allah” pending a court decision on the matter.
The decision was verbally conveyed by the Home Ministry to the Catholic Church today and a letter is expected to reach the Church tomorrow.
But three other conditions are likely to remain:
- a ban on the use of three other terms that are also used in Islam;
- a ban on the sale of the paper outside church premises (which is unnecessary as the paper is only sold or distributed in churches across the country); and
- a requirement that the front page should indicate that the paper is for non-Muslims only (which is again redundant as the paper is sold only in churches, and the masthead already indicates that it is a Catholic weekly.
On 2 January, Archbishop Murphy Pakiam reportedly informed the Home Ministry in a letter that the ministry should reconsider its decision and revoke the ban within seven days, failing which which the Church would take the matter to court.
It is understood the Church was poised to take legal action to assert the right to publish in the national language – before the Ministry back-pedalled. Some 65 per cent of all Christians in Malaysia (as at the year 2000) are ‘bumiputeras’ from Sabah and Sarawak and this figure is rising.
A typical edition of the weekly paper has 32 pages, including an eight-page Malay-language pull-out, three pages in Chinese and two pages in Tamil, with the rest in English.
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I agree with Johnny, WHERE IS SABAH BISHOPs ? AFRAID OF ISA ? NO JOKE MAN TO CONFRONT WITH HOME MINISTRY THEY PUT YOU IN ISA ?
Wait until judgment day then you will deal with NABI ISA( Jesus).I think the Roman Catholic members should write to the POPE to re-appoint the Bishops of Sabah.
Let God judge and punish those gomen dumbos for stopping his Name!
The church shouldnt act as dumb as the gov. Money spent on court cases and this issue should have been put to better use. Bottom line is the correct bahasa Malaysia term for God is Tuhan not Allah.
Allah is Arabic and the Herals is not printed in Arabic.
The former President of India Abdul Kalam can challenge any Muslim, Christian and Hindu “learned person” on the Quran, Bible or Bhagavat Gita collectively and individually. Yet he remains a true muslim. The Prime Minister of Palestine attends Christmas Mass in Church, and yet he remains a believer of his faith. Many Middle Eastern Leaders have gone to churches for the festive celebrations, and yet they are not apostates. Here, there is so much of fear among the half-baked UMNO leaders. Is this Islam Hadhari? Reminds me of the excellent enforcement work done by JPJ in KL recently. A taxi… Read more »
haha… this home minister memang memalukan.
he would be sacked years ago if in other civilised countries.
Ganesh, you are perfect correct. Since when has this balding HM ever got his priorities right? His dull brain is rot and acting like a drunken sailor.
Well this is Bolehland, UMNO-BN administration is proud to have this sort of Minister twisting the rakyat. (I refrain from using the word, “Serving”).
The authority is not sure what they are doing and so it is banned and lifted. Kudos to the Archbishop for his courage to stand up to the Home ministry.
In a way, we are really ashamed of our own bishops in Sabah who have not said a word till now when most of the people affected are their own flocks. They are more concerned about their own “Datuks” and annual grants.
The BN bigots keep fumbling… they still think the electorates are dumb and what they are doing are all helping to deliver votes to Pakatan Rakyat.
I fully support BRO Ganesh view home ministry with our POLICE should serious banning porn movies not only in klang valley but BN stronghold Johor Bahru,so no more case like nurin in Malaysia.
TIME TO BUTT ‘YES, BUT…”
When it’s a case of ‘Yes’ but with restrictive conditions
It’s clearly a glaring form of narrow controlled situation
By human beings trying to freeze ‘Good News’ contribution
Without respecting full freedom in wider media distribution
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng – 080109
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Thur. 8th Jan. 2009.
The One & Only Almighty God-who-must-not-be-named.
How potty can you get!
Reference from Wikipedia
Allah is the standard Arabic word for God.
Used by Arabic-speakers of all Abrahamic faiths, including Christians and Jews, in reference to “God”
The Christian Arabs of today have no other word for ‘God’ than ‘Allah’
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allah
Why don’t the Home Ministry ban all blue films and porn dvds openly sold in pasar malams and outside some 4 nombor ekor shops. It is sold rampantly in Klang Valley.
Blue films and porn corrupt the young and is more dangerous. It is one of the causes why rape has increased over the years.
Home Ministry should ban all the massage parlours, brothels and health centres that offer sex services that are operating rampantly in the Klang Valley. It is so rampant. Isn’t all this bad?
First of all, there is no valid reason to ban the malay supplement in the Herald. Is it because of desperation to win in Kt where every vote counts, this ‘generous act’ to reverse the ban is to get the christians’ votes?
My gut feeling tells me, PR will still win.