Sarawak PKR deeply regrets the Federal Court’s dismissal of the application by the Catholic Church to review the earlier decision of the court not to grant leave to appeal the ban on the use of the word 'Allah' in its weekly, Herald .

“Nevertheless, the decision comes as no surprise,” state PKR chief Baru Bian said in a statement issued last night.

Baru said: "We would indeed be naïve to expect this panel of ‘junior’ Federal Court judges to allow the application to review a decision of a larger panel of judges headed by the Chief Justice himself."

The court’s refusal to allow the Catholic Church’s earlier application for an enlarged bench to hear the application was unfortunate since, by convention, a larger panel, or at least the same number of judges should sit in review of a panel’s decision.

"This does not help to shift the perception of an already cynical public that the decision in the Allah case is not a fair decision," Baru said.

Legally speaking, the Ba'Kelalan assemblyperson added, it was a pity that the highest court in this country declined to hear an appeal on substantive issues, since, in the opinion of many lawyers and academicians, the earlier Court of Appeal decision on the matter itself is legally unsustainable.

'Malay-speaking Christians deserve better'

"One would have thought that this being a case of enormous public interest (and international attention), the Federal Court would have taken the opportunity to hear the appeal and to hand down a decision supported by cogent, incisive and judicious reasoning.

“Alas, we are deprived of the benefit of the wisdom of the highest legal minds of this country.

"As a result of this long-drawn out Allah case, ordinary Malaysians will be even more convinced that there is not much hope in the review process of our judicial system," Baru said.

He added that whatever the reasons the judges gave for the dismissal of the church’s application, unfairness was a matter of perception where the people are concerned.

"It is my hope that the issue will be revisited in another case at another time by a different panel so that this matter, which is of such great importance to the people of this country, can be ventilated in depth and at length in the highest court of the land.

"The Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christians in this country deserve better than what has been dished out to them," added Baru, a lawyer by profession and a devout Christian.