The Malaysian government has agreed to lift a ban o­n an edition of the Bible published in the language of the indigenous Iban tribe, Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

"I have decided that the ban be lifted with immediate effect," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency late Friday.

Abdullah, who is also Home Minister, said the Bible was for the use of the Iban community o­nly and it had been in use for a long time.

He said the issue in question - the use of the word Allah Tala for God in the Iban language - had been resolved.