Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Joseph Kurup said he hoped that the issue over the Vatican ambassador's comment on the use of the word "Allah" is regarded as settled for the sake of national unity.

bn supreme council mt meeting sapp sabah issue 190608 joseph kurup Kurup ( left ), who is the minister responsible for unity and national integration, thanked all quarters who had extended cooperation and shown a high level of enthusiasm in handling the issue.

"I urge all quarters to work together to consolidate unity and enhance understanding through discussion and mutual understanding to maintain harmony in the country," he said in a statement.

The ambassador, Archbishop Joseph Marino, has apologised for the misunderstanding and inconveniences that his comments might have caused and said it was never his intention to meddle in the internal affairs of the country.

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman had summoned Marino to Wisma Putra and advised him to be mindful of the religious sensitivities of the country and also informed him that the issue he had commented on was pending hearing at the Court of Appeal.

Kurup urged for the issue to be left to be decided by the courts.

- Bernama