'With the new ruling, East Malaysians need to own two Bibles: one for East Malaysia and another for use in West Malaysia.

'Welcome to 1Malaysia, 2Bibles'
SusahKes: Nazri Abdul Aziz can pusing-pusing (go in circles) as much as he wants, but at the end of the day, it's all about politics to Umno. Umno knows the weight of the votes coming from East Malaysia, which will be strong enough to overturn whatever support it gets from voters in the West.

This is why there is 1Malaysia, but three laws: one for ordinary Malaysians; one for Sabah/Sarawak, and one for Umno.

Lian Mok: Nazri, you have just shown to us how desperate BN is to get East Malaysian votes. If East Malaysia can have a different set of laws, then they are better off forming their own government. That way, there is no need to help make those corrupted West Malaysian politicians even richer with East Malaysia's resources. Without East Malaysian votes, it's the end for BN.

Andrew Law: This is a win-win solution for all. It looks good for Umno. I hope that now Najib can tame those Selangor Council of Islamic Religious Affairs (Mais), Selangor Department of Islamic Religious Affairs (Jais) and the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim). We have to give Najib time and give his 1Malaysia a chance.

GK: What will happen if the Court of Appeal rules in the Home Ministry's favour? Will this mean that Sabahans and Sarawakians cannot use the word 'Allah'? The way the government has dealt with this matter gives the impression that the Umno-led government only has a particular segment of rakyat, not all rakyat, in its considerations.

Sabah and Sarawak are no more BN's ‘fixed deposits'. It is better for the Home Ministry to withdraw its appeal, and return everything to status quo if BN still wants to regard the East Malaysian states as your fixed deposits. The measures reported here, if true, will only make the water murkier, not clearer.

Md Imraz Muhammed Ikhbal: There you have it, finally. An open admission as to the motive behind the attacks on churches. Coupled with the declared consent by the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and the Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein for Muslims to stage the protests, we now even have indisputable testimony as to who exactly is responsible for the attacks on churches.

Artchan: "The subsequent arson attacks on the churches, continued Nazri, "proved that the government was right (about the 'Allah' ban)". If what Nazri says is true, did the government encouraged the committing of arson just to prove a point that the use of ‘Allah' will create outbreaks of violence? What about the promise to protect its citizens?

And Nazri, pray tell me, if you a God-fearing Muslim, how on earth can you justify violence in the name of your religion on your fellow countrymen?

Jstom: Has Nazri just hinted that the church attacks were coordinated by the government to prove the existence of 'Muslim sensitivities' (and the possibility of violence)? What is the country coming to?

Richard F Sindra: This decision should have been made a long time ago. Now I feel more secure and free to practice my religion in Bahasa Malaysia, and not feeling afraid anymore.

Keanjin: With the new ruling:

1) East Malaysians need to own two Bibles: one for East Malaysia and another for use in West Malaysia.

2) All entry points at airports and ports have to check to make sure there are no Bibles containing ‘Allah' - 1Malaysia, 2Bibles.

Geronimo: Can you please release those CDs confiscated by the authorities? Can we now import Bibles? Can East Malaysians start printing their own Bahasa Malaysia Bibles?

Don't blame the archbishop (Murphy Pakiam) for the present crisis. The blame lies with you: For 47 years after the formation of the federation and 16 years since the Herald began publishing, you did nothing about this issue. Why the need to impose the ban now?

We had no choice but to seek legal redress as the Catholic Church was been push into a corner. We can't print and we can't import the Bibles in Bahasa because of the Printing Presses and Publications Act. What did you expect the church to do?

Umno breached the federal constitution with regards to freedom of religion. You blame everybody but yourself.

Clear Soul: If everyone could just for a moment clear their minds about those churches been attacked and focus on the root of the matter in the use of the word ‘Allah' by the Christians even though they claimed that in East Malaysia, most of them read in Bahasa Malaysia. I agreed with that but why use ‘Allah' when in the Bahasa dictionary, it clearly stated Tuhan = God?

This particular group of Christians are testing the water to see how far they could go. Is this necessary? Why can't they understand there is an invisible tolerance of race, culture and faith in this beautiful country. Do not blame others when you should look at yourselves and ask if this is worth it. I am a Christian by faith but I really feel all these are unnecessary.

Dood: What I want to see now is whether all those fanatics who first protested - saying that Christians cannot use the word ‘Allah' at all - now march to Putrajaya to protest against the government allowing Christians in the two states to use the word.

Or if Nazri is just giving his own opinion, then whether they would protest against Nazri.

Jbss: Confusion reigns supreme based on this half-baked solution. But for the Christian Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia, they are being denied the use of the word 'Allah' in prayers. They are being denied their freedom of worship, even though they have used 'Allah' for years.

Teh: Let me try to understand what Nazri is means: If you are an East Malaysian Christian residing in East Malaysia, you can use the word ‘Allah'. But if you are a West Malaysian Christian residing in West Malaysia, you cannot use the word ‘Allah'.

If you are an East Malaysian Christian working in West Malaysia, you cannot use the word ‘Allah'. However, if you are a West Malaysian Christian working in East Malaysia, it is alright to use the word ‘Allah'.

But if you are either East Malaysian or West Malaysian Christian on a plane that has just taken off from East Malaysia to West Malaysia, you cannot use the word ‘Allah'. Similarly if you are either East Malaysian or West Malaysian Christian on a plane that has just taken off from West Malaysia towards East Malaysian, you now can start using the word ‘Allah'.

Doc: Could you please enlighten me, Mr Nazri with regards to the Rukun Negara which states "Kepercayaan Kepada Tuhan". Are we referring to the Christian ‘Tuhan' or West Malaysia ‘Allah'. My apologies but I am really confused.

MK
16/01/2010

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