The letter declaring the release of the Bible in the Malay language into Malaysia may have already been issued, but for Christian Federation of Malaysia chairperson Bishop Ng Moon Hing, the story is not over.

"If it was just about upholding the 1982 gazette, then there would have been no such episode (involving the impounding of 35,000-odd copies of the Bible). Somebody did not follow (the gazette).

"In future, there may be some other leader and different instructions, so we feel that this story will be never-ending," he said when contacted this morning.

economic transformation programme 210910 idris jala 02 In a press statement late yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala announced that Putrajaya has decided to release copies of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia that were impounded in Port Klang and in Kuching.

Idris ( left ) said this was in accordance with the 1982 gazette under the Internal Security Act, which allows for the import of the Bible in the Malay language for the use of Christians in Sabah and Sarawak.

He said the decision was made after Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail's advice that this would not prejudice the government's appeal against the use of the word ‘Allah' by the Catholic journal Herald .

The High Court found in favour of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur on Dec 31, 2009, whose application appealing the government's ban on the use of the term 'Allah' by the Herald was filed on Dec 22, 2007.

NONE In his statement, Idris also called the decision a "reasonable compromise", much to Ng's dissatisfaction.

"This is Idris' way of handling things. (The government) wants it to look like it is the one giving in, when it should have followed the gazette in the first place. In fact, it is we who have lost so much ground," the bishop said.

Ng said the gazette was also unsettling, since placing the Malay language Bible under the Internal Security Act meant the holy book was considered an issue of national security.

"CFM has always taken the position that the Bible is not a threat and contains nothing to threaten national security.

"All along, we Christians have never wanted to take a confrontational path, and have appealed against the (classification of the Bible under the ISA), but it has gone on for far too long," Ng added.