A hearing date for the judicial review application by Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) to import religious literature from Indonesia containing the word 'Allah' will be decided on April 30.

The date for case management was fixed by Kuala Lumpur High Court (Special Powers and Appellate division) judge Aziah Ali today. Justice Aziah recently took over the case from judge Abdul Kadir Musa.

The case was brought in 2007 by SIB - an evangelical group formed in 1928 and one of the biggest churches in East Malaysia - after the Home Ministry banned its import of Christian literature from Indonesia.

According to the authorities, the literature contained words exclusive to Muslims. The words in contention are 'Allah' (God), 'Baitullah' (House of God), 'Solat' (Prayer) and 'Kaabah' (The Sacred House).

Speaking to reporters later, SIB's lawyer Bobby Chew said Aziah wanted to give both parties more time to work out a possible out-of-court settlement in the three-year dispute.

"If no solution is reached, a hearing date would be fixed on April 30," he said.

Chew said SIB had sent a letter to the Home Ministry to inform it of its application to settle the matter, but had yet to get a reply.

Today was fixed for the case management for both parties to inform the judge on the development of the case. 

Christian books seized

On Dec 10, 2007, SIB and its president pastor Jerry Dusing filed leave application for a judicial review against the Home Ministry

and the government, after failing to get the ministry to lift a ban on the import of the Christian books from Indonesia.

They are seeking a declaration that they had the constitutional right to use he word 'Allah' in all their religious publications and practices, and not just ithin the church.

SIB also sought a court order to quash the Home Ministry's decision to efuse the import of four titles and withhold delivery of two more titles mpounded under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

In 2007, Royal Customs and Excise Department officers had confiscated at the L International Airport low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) eight religious books rought in by the church for its Sunday classes for children.

The ministry, which controls the department, had claimed that the books ontained the word 'Allah' which was barred from use by non-Muslims, and seized hem to prevent confusing Muslims.

Dusing said the books were teaching reference material meant only for hristian consumption and would not be used to preach to Muslims, as the ministry appeared to imply.

There is worry that the outcome of the SIB case will stoke religious sentiments similar to that seen after the High Court handed out the judgment on Catholic weekly The Herald .

In December, The Herald succeeded in its application to overturn the Home Minister's decision to ban it from using the word 'Allah' in its Bahasa edition.

This sparked outrage among Muslim groups. Several house of worships, mostly Churches, were desecrated and subject of arson attempts . The government is appealing against the High Court decision.