The Kuala Lumpur High Court registrar today fixed March 15 for the mention of another case involving the term 'Allah' in the latest twist of an escalating dispute over use of the word.

This case concerns eight religious compact discs (CDs) which was brought in from Jakarta in 2008 by Sarawakian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill.

Jill, of the indigenous Melanau tribe, is challenging the seizure of religious CDs with the word 'Allah' printed on them, and is seeking a court order for the return of the eight discs seized by the authorities.

Senior public prosecutor Andi Razalijaya told reporters that High Court judge Mohd Apandi Ali was too busy today to set a date for hearing of the case. This will now be in March.

Instead, Mohd Apandi ordered that today be a case management where both sides exchange documents in preparation for the hearing.

NONE Andi said he would be filing an affidavit in reply to the submissions filed by Jill's lawyer Annou Xavier ( left ).

The CDs, which was brought in by Jill, were confiscated at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport two years ago due to the word 'Allah' printed on them.

Later, Jill received a letter from the Home Ministry stating that the CDs were unlawful and that she had failed to pay customs duty.

According to the Home Ministry, the CDs were a threat to security due to the usage of prohibited words, which breached the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) guidelines.

                            

Jill, a Christian, argued that she had used the word 'Allah' in her prayers, worship and religious education. She also prays using both the Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia Al-Kitab (bible) which uses the word 'Allah'.

"Ireland is seeking the return of her discs and a declaration that she can use the word 'Allah' and to own, use and import materials with the word 'Allah' in exercising her religious freedom," Xavier told reporters.

"Christians in Sabah and Sarawak have been using the word 'Allah' for centuries," he added.

Member of SIB Church

Ireland is a member of the Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) Church. One of its churches in Negri Sembilan was targeted on Monday in an attack that left its door charred.

Daniel Raut, president of SIB in peninsular Malaysia, said its 36 congregations on the peninsula as well as 250,000 members in Sabah and Sarawak, worship mainly in the national language Malay.

"We will continue to use the word in our worship because we have been using it all the while. Why all of a sudden are we being asked to stop using it?" he asked.

"Our prayer and hope is that the government will continue to allow us to use the word," he said, adding that members were "really fearful" over the attacks.

Nine churches have been fire-bombed or vandalised so far, sending tensions soaring.

Churches have been pelted with Molotov cocktails, splashed with black paint and had windows smashed with stones, triggering tighter security at places of worship nationwide.

Seeking a declaration

Jill has sought leave from the court on Aug 20, 2008, for an order of certiorari to quash the decision of the Home Ministry in confiscating the CDs.

She wanted a declaration that under Article 11 of the federal constitution that she be allowed to use and import publication to practise her own religion, and that everyone is guaranteed equality and that there be no discrimination on issues pertaining to religion under Article 8. Jll is also seeking unspecified damages.

On May 4, 2009, leave was granted by Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Alizatul Khair Osman to apply for an order of judicial review.

In her affidavit, Jill exhibited, among others, certain parts of the Al-Kitab Bahasa Indonesia and Al-Kitab Bahasa Malaysia which clearly showed that the word 'Allah' was used for a long time.

Further, she also exhibited the 'Kitab Perjanjian Baharu' (The New Testament) in Malay, published by the British and Foreign Bible Society as early as 1949, which showed that ‘Allah’ was used since then in Malay Bibles.

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[Additional reporting by AFP ]