SIB fails to get cabinet documents on use of the word ‘Allah’

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here yesterday dismissed an application by the Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) Church and its president to obtain documents on a decision by the cabinet in 1986 which prohibited the use of the word ‘Allah’ in publications by religions other than Islam.

Judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin, in a decision made in chambers, dismissed the application on grounds that the documents were classified under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and could not be released.

Lawyer Annou Xavier, representing SIB and its president, Datuk Jerry WA Dusing @ Jerry W Pate, told reporters this when met after the proceeding, which was also attended by senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, who acted for the Home Ministry and the government.

He said the court also set Nov 1 for case management.

Meanwhile, Shamsul, when met by reporters, said the court ruled that the document requested by SIB had been classified OSA.

“The court says that it is not in its position to ask us to reveal the documents because it is only for

The court says that it is not in its position to ask us to reveal the documents because it is only for the maker to declassify. Shamsul Bolhassan, senior federal counsel

the maker to declassify,” he said.

The documents were requested by Dusing and SIB, as plaintiff in a judicial review application filed on Dec 10, 2007 against the Home Ministry and the government over their right to use the word Allah to refer to God in their religious publications.

The application was also filed to challenge the decision of the Royal Malaysian Customs to seize religious books brought in from Surabaya, Indonesia, which contained the word Allah, at the low cost carrier terminal in Sepang on Aug 15, 2007.

They are seeking a declaration that they have constitutional right to use the word Allah in their Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia-translated Christian bible and in all their religious publications and material. — Bernama