A group of Muslim lawyers have warned the Bar Council not to back Catholic newspaper The Herald’s appeal against the controversial Court of Appeal ruling on the use of the word ‘Allah’, or "face action".

 

“Lest it be forgotten, the Bar Council, which is the executive body of the Malaysian Bar, represents the entire Malaysian Bar, comprising of Muslim and non-Muslim members.

“In the circumstance, we wish to caution the Bar Council against taking any partisan stand in disregard of the sensitivities of the thousands of Muslim members of the Bar,” said Muslim Lawyers Association (PPMM) president Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar in a statement today.

He warned that PPMM “would not hesitate to take further action” if the Bar Council continues to take steps or stands that it deems “contradictory with the Muslim beliefs”.

Zainul was responding to an article published in the Sun on Wednesday quoting Bar Council human rights committee chairperson Andrew Khoo that the council would consider following the Sabah Law Association’s (SLA) move “throw their weight behind The Herald”.

Another news report day earlier quoted an unnamed SLA member saying the association has decided to apply to participate the court’s proceedings.

However, the SLA has since denied taking any stance on the Court of Appeal ruling on Oct 14, which bars the Malay-edition of The Herald from using ‘Allah’ as the translation for God.

Noting that proceedings are ongoing, it said commenting on the issue could be tantamount to contempt of court.

“The likely implications are that there is a danger of this delicate issue being tried by the media before the Federal Court has heard the substantive submissions of the relevant parties.

“Therefore, it would be presumptuous of SLA to make a stand or comment publicly on the issue at this stage, which may be seen as anticipating the outcome of the application for leave to appeal to the Federal Court or the appeal proper for  that matter.

To do so may compromise the position of SLA, even more so if SLA is going to be an ‘amicus curiae’ (a friend of the court) at the invitation of the Federal Court or upon application by SLA for the proceedings in the Federal Court,” it said in a press statement published on Borneo Post Online on Oct 30.