The police have come under fire for failing to act against those publicly protesting the lifting of the ban on the use of the word ‘Allah’.

NONE Selangor DAP secretary Lau Weng San said the protests amount to contempt of court and sedition.

As such, he said, the police should have lodged reports against the “right-wing extremist groups” who have taken part in several demonstrations .

“The actions of these groups justify police action, as these can leave a negative effect on the relationship between those of different races and religions,” he said in a statement today.  

He said the demonstrators have also challenged the integrity of the prime minister’s 1Malaysia campaign and acted in contempt of the Kuala Lumpur High Court by openly criticising its ruling.

The fact that no action has been taken could lead the public to think that the police are “one-sided and are biased” towards Barisan Nasional (BN), said Lau, who is also Kampung Tunku assemblyperson.

“Why didn’t the police lodge a police report of their own (accord when) they were willing to do so against statements by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Selangor exco Ean Yong (Hian Wah)?” he asked.  

dominique ng interview 010606 gesturing Padungan MP Dominique Ng, meanwhile, called on the government to release copies of the Bible that had been confiscated in Kuching last October, because these contain the word ‘Allah’.

He said the government should respect the court ruling and “act accordingly to demonstrate its recognition and respect for a tolerant and multiracial Malaysia”.

 

“The ruling should also extend to other Christian articles that have been confiscated both in Kuala Lumpur and in Kuching on the same grounds,” he said.

These include DVDs using the word ‘Allah’ which were confiscated from a Melanau Christian, who has gone to court to claim the items.

‘Defining moment’

Ng further urged the Sarawak government to get involved, as the issue affects more than 40 percent of the state’s population who are Christians.

“(It) should act positively and reassure all Sarawak Christians of their rights under the constitution and in the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement,” he said in a statement.

“The (state) government owes it to Christians to immediately help expedite the release of the confiscated religious articles, as the first step.”

barisan nasional Referring to the PAS statement supporting the court ruling, Ng said it is now BN’s turn “to show that it can measure closer to the religious understanding and tolerance shown by PAS and Pakatan Rakyat”.

He described the fact that Muslim clerics and many Malay-Muslims have expressed support for sharing the term ‘Allah’ as “heart-warming” and a “defining moment in communal relations”.

“This is a most positive national unity development which BN would be well advised to embrace rather than resist through another court challenge, and thus seem to encourage other acts stoking social tension,” he said.

Ng called on all political parties to show leadership to preserve national harmony, parallel to the 1Malaysia concept.

“This is indeed a litmus test for 1Malaysia. The prime minister should let Malaysians be one in the belief of God and Allah, a ‘oneness’ which will be promoted using a shared term ‘Allah’,” he noted.