Chong: ‘Allah’ ban politically motivated

HARI RAYA HAJI: Aziz (right) and the villagers preparing for the Hari Raya Korban ceremony.

KUCHING: State Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen believes the decision of Court of Appeal over the ‘Allah’ issue is tied to politics.

The word ‘Allah’ has been used by the Iban churches in Sarawak to refer to the Christian God for centuries and even before the idea of Malaysia is conceived, he said.

“In Indonesia, the term ‘Allah’ is still being used. Forbidding the use of the word Allah by non Muslims is narrow minded and extreme,” said Chong who is also Kota Sentosa assemblyman. He also said Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing’s statement over this issue would not solve the problem as he excluded the predicament of Malay speaking Christians in the Semenanjung Malaysia when he was trying to compromise.

“He (Masing) said Sarawak could continue using the word Allah but what about those Bumiputras from Sarawak who reside in the Peninsula? What are they going to do with their bibles and their church services,” he asked. He made the remark at Hari Raya Korban meat distribution event at Kampung Sinjan in Jalan Astana here yesterday.

Meanwhile, Chong’s special assistant Abdul Aziz Isa and his family donated a cow for the sacrificial ceremony. The meat was distributed to about 150 villagers including the less fortunate from Kampung Sinjan, Kampung Tanjung and Kampung Sg Midin.

“This is DAP’s initiative to show that we are not anti-Malay or anti-Islam. We are getting support from the Malay community,” Abdul Aziz said at the distribution of the meat. - theborneopost