KUALA LUMPUR: Penang police have confirmed that the bibles allegedly distributed to Muslim students in Jelutong recently were all printed in English and do not contain the word “Allah” as previously claimed.

Sinar Harian Online reported today that at least five copies of the bibles were handed over to the police in the case and none held any translation from English to Bahasa Malaysia or Jawi script.

Citing Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi, the Malay daily reported that seven police reports have been lodged on the matter – four by students aged between 16 and 19 years and the remaining three from members of the public.

“A total of 17 statements have been recorded in the probe.

“Initial investigations have revealed that the bibles are all written in the English language and do not contain the word ‘Allah’,” the police chief was quoted as saying in a media statement yesterday.

Abdul Rahim added that accompanying the reports were five pocket-sized bibles, each with 633 pages.

He said the police have submitted the investigation paper to the public prosecutor’s office for further action.

The alleged distribution of bibles to Muslim students hit media headlines last week when several residents in Jelutong went public with claims that a group has been handing out the holy books in a school.

The case was opened under Section 298A of the Penal Code for attempts to destroy harmony and unity, and causing dissatisfaction and prejudice.

The matter had prompted Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali to urge all Muslims to burn any copies of the Malay language bibles that they manage to lay their hands upon.

The Pasir Mas MP’s remarks immediately sparked furor among non-Muslims and politicians across the divide, stirring up yet another storm over the usage of “Allah” by Christians to refer to their God in their holy books.

Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties MIC and MCA had also taken issue with Ibrahim’s remarks and urged the government to take stern action against the fiery leader.

Joining the chorus of disapproval, Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said yesterday that although the Bar still maintains that the Sedition Act should be repealed, it must be impartially applied against Ibrahim given that authorities have charged opposition leaders under the same Act.

In a statement here, National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) chairman Reverend Dr Eu Hong Seng, described the threat an “unfortunate proposal” but reminded Malaysians to be moderate in their responses to the threat.

“This unfortunate proposal to burn Malay bibles containing the word ‘Allah’ serves as a serious reminder to all Malaysians to be more measured in our responses, the next time we hear of some unreasonable people in the West wanting to burn other people’s Scriptures, because we too have our fair share of unreasonable people,” he said.

The “Allah” dispute, which first erupted after the watershed Election 2008, remains a hot-button topic in the run-up to this year’s polls.

Debate resurfaced last month after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also the Penang Chief Minister, called on Putrajaya in his Christmas message to lift a ban on Malay-language bibles in Borneo Malaysia.

Hot on the heels of the DAP leader’s remarks, several state Rulers and Islamic religious authorities reminded non-Muslims of state laws banning use of the word, despite conflicting with a 2009 High Court judgment that ruled “Allah” was not exclusive to Islam.


- The Malaysian Insider

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/bibles-in-jelutong-case-dont-contain-allah-penang-cops-say/

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