Johor police appear to have committed a boo-boo by using a struck-out section of the Penal Code to probe a priest for possessing hymn books that contain the word 'Allah'.

The state police had said Father Cyril Mannayagam was being investigated under Section 298A of the Penal Code.

However, lawyer Andrew Khoo told Malaysiakini that the section had already been declared unconstitutional in 1988 and was struck out.