The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) is offended by the suggestion from the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) to have the Bible translated into Bahasa Malaysia by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) over the contentious use of the word "Allah."

In a statement, CFM chairperson Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim said the suggestion put forth by Mais lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla was an attempt to infringe upon the constitutional right of Christians to manage their own religious affairs, as enshrined in Article 11 (3) of the Federal Constitution.

"The Holy Bible and the Al-Kitab in Bahasa Malaysia form part of the sacred patrimony of Christians, and any attempt by any person not authorised by the Christian churches to provide an authoritative version will be firmly rejected. This is not just an outrage to Christians and their sensibilities.

"It will be a most heinous form of offence against what all Christians believe to be divinely inspired scriptures, the Word of God," Leow said.

CFM’s objection to DBP undertaking the translation of the Bible comes on the heels of a similar stance from the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, which said last Saturday that the language agency lacks the necessary expertise...