MCA told Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today not “twist and skew” the party’s words on the use of the word ‘Allah’ by Christians in the state.

“Lim tried to twist and skew our bureau’s sarcasm or mockery of his attempt to blame Putrajaya on the 'Allah' terminology.

“Obviously the DAP secretary-general (Lim) is not used to being questioned and he does not articulate issues nor take political responsibility,” MCA Religious Harmony Bureau deputy chairperson Ng Chok Sin said in a statement.

At DAP’s annual general assembly meeting on Sunday, Lim called on Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to train his guns on MCA “for demanding that the Penang state government repeals the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Penang) Enactment 2004 to allow the use of 'Allah' by Christians”.

Ng ( left ) said the bureau was simply reminding Lim of the Penang Islamic Administration Enactment 2004, which was gazetted in 2010 under the Pakatan Rakyat-led state administration after approval by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, which outlawed the usage of the 40 Islamic words by non-Muslims.

He said Lim should also shoulder “political responsibility” and explain to the public why he ignored seeking legal advice on the ruling.

“Lim should take political responsibility to explain why and how Pakatan could gazette the Enactment in 2010, which he conveniently ignores admitting, even though the late DAP chairperson Karpal Singh had voiced the need for the Penang state government to seek legal advice on the enactment.”

'Admit Pakatan committed a mistake'

Ng also took a jibe at Pakatan and Lim for endorsing the ban which, was implemented in 2010, to sway more Muslim voters for the 13th general election.

“It would be much easier for Guan Eng to just admit that Pakatan committed a mistake and repair it, rather than act like a political animal.

“What they were doing pre-GE13 was political posturing and what they are verbally hollering now post-GE13 are two separate things,” Ng said.

Meanwhile, Umno Online reported today a local political analyst slammimg Lim for the comments he made during the DAP general assembly on Sunday.

“I feel that Lim, as a political leader, is  someone who does not understand the sensitivity of the issue and purposely brought it up to further his own political agenda,” Abdul Halim Sidek of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan is quoted as saying.

'Lim used issue to provoke the public'

Abdul Halim, a law lecturer , said Lim also used the issue to provoke the public and sidestep from the criticisms towards his administration as well as the failure to realise the multiple manifestos that his party has promised.

“This act is done on purpose, as a political ploy to create provocation, especially among the BN leaders, and if any of them says anything it will be used as a weapon against them,” Abdul Halim added.

MCA has previously demanded that the Pakatan Rakyat-led governments of Penang and Selangor stop blaming the federal government for the ban on the word ‘Allah’ to be used by non-Muslims, and instead use their powers to amend their respective state enactments.