Kalimah Allah Issue , Dr. Mahathir Mohammad & Failed Nation Building
On the 11th March 2021, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (Mahathir) made an facebook posting entitled Kontroversi Kalimah Allah in his Kelab Che Det fb account.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4056113114476327&id=165613420193002
Among the things that he wrote in that posting was his belief that the controversy surrounding the word ‘Allah’, just like the word ‘Kaum Pendatang’, cannot be resolved in a court of law. Just as he tried to explain his position in simple words that are easy to understand by the average Malaysians, so too will I do the same. Might as well as my capability with the english language does not go beyond average.
The current page in the ‘Allah’ controversy arose from a legal action, filed by Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill (Jill) against Home Ministry and the Malaysian government in the civil court on the 20th August 2008. Among the reliefs that she sought from the court was a declaration pursuant to Article 11 of the Federal Constitution that it is her (Jill Ireland) constitutional rights to import the 7 Publications in the exercise of her right to practise religion and right to education.
https://www.cljlaw.com/ekehakiman/pdf/---W-01-298-08-2014.pdf
Two things must be remembered here and must be put firmly as the backdrop so that it will not be forgotten by anybody who seeks to enter into a debate over the controversy: 1) The legal action taken by Jill was as a direct result of she being denied one of her fundamental rights enshrined in the federal constitution which by the way is the supreme law of the nation and 2) The action was filed in a properly constituted court of law, the civil court to be precise. These two points are the reasons why the posting by Mahathir is extremely puzzling. I do not however wish to speculate on what he was suggesting by saying that the controversy cannot be resolved in a court of law. It is my fervent hope that he was not suggesting what a supreme council member of UMNO threatened - protest in the streets.
The following observations too are important:
1.Mahathir was Malaysia’s 4th prime minister, serving from the July 1981 to Oct 2003. He was also the 7th prime minister, serving from May 2018 to Feb 2020. This is a very significant point as it is logical to assume that he would and should have use his second term as prime minister to make good and shortcomings that he was unable to rectify during his first term. There is also a 17 years lapse between his first and second time and this translate to a 17 years opportunity for him to reflect on his achievements and failures.
2.As Mahathir rightly acknowledged in his posting, the ‘Allah’ controversy dates back to March 1986, when the Home Minister banned the Herald, a publication of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, from using the words ‘Allah, Solat, Kaabah’ from their all their publications. The Home Minister at that time was Mahathir. As stated in the preceding paragraph, Mahathir was also the prime minister.
While it was mentioned that the ban resulted from a cabinet’s decision, it may be said that Mahathir was the driver behind the ban. It was within his power to seek and to apply other ways to resolve the it if it was his belief that the controversy, which finds its source in him, cannot be resolved in a court of law.
3.Malay is the national language in Malaysia by Article 152 of the Constitution of Malaysia. It became the sole official language in Peninsular Malaysia in 1968 and in East Malaysia gradually from 1974. In Jan 1970, the medium of instructions in public schools in Malaysia was changed from English to Bahasa Melayu. I am not privy to information on Jill’s age now but this information was stated in her court filing : The Applicant is a Malaysian citizen. She is a Melanau from Sarawak and she professes the Christian faith. The cause papers show that the Applicant uses Bahasa Malaysia in all aspects of her profession and practice of Christianity.
https://www.cljlaw.com/ekehakiman/pdf/---W-01-298-08-2014.pdf
It is also in public domain that in August 2008 Jill was 27 years of age. Assuming that is correct, she will be about 40 years old now.
https://pengayau.wordpress.com/tag/jill-ireland-lawrence-bill/
This means that Jill’s formative years in the Malaysian education system was during the early years of Bahasa Melayu as the medium of instruction in Malaysian’s schools and she grew in the Bahasa Melayu era. At about the same time, churches in Malaysia, as good corporate citizens, was moving to use the national language ( i.e Bahasa Melayu ) in their services and liturgies so that they too can be active partners in nation building. This clearly brought out the need to have books (including the Christian bible in Bahasa Melayu i.e the AlKitab).
How Jill and the Christian churches in Malaysia can be faulted for using ‘Allah’, when to them it is merely a Bahasa Melayu translation for God, is beyond comprehension by any rational thinking Malaysians. To ban Christians from using ‘Allah’ is akin to saying Christains are excused from regarding Bahasa Melayu as their national language. I am certain that is not the case but effect of the ban says otherwise.
This is a significant point in this controversy because a national language represents the national identity of a nation and therefore is a crucial ingredient in nation building. In an attempt to build and maintain a national identity, language is considered to be the primary determinant of success besides knowledge. The use of a common language throughout the territory unites the citizen.
At the heart of this controversy therefore is not the definition of ‘Allah’ in various languages or which religion has the exclusive right to use it, to the exclusion of everybody else. In fact, the controversy over ‘Allah’ is uniquely a Malaysia conundrum. The problem that Malaysian are witnessing now is in reality a problem of failed nation building by the leaders of Malaysia and the slide down the slippery slope of racial disharmony in Malaysia started with Mahathir in 1986.
Mahathir may have been Malaysia’s prime minister twice over, 23 long years in total. And he had a 15 years siesta before becoming prime minister for the second time in May 2018. Through out all those time he never made the transition from the ultra malay who the wrote the Malay Dilemma in 1970 to a statesman and builder of nation. He was certainly did not put much effort into unifying the Malaysians who came from different racial, religious and cultural backgrounds. His fb posting on the 11th March 2021 can described in one word - unrepentant.
Between March 1986 and Jan 1999 there were at least 8 events that sought to suppress Christian rights in Malaysia. Between 8th Jan 2010 to the 16th Jan 2010, there were 9 attempts to burn churches and 1 school in Malaysia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_attacks_against_places_of_worship_in_Malaysia
In Oct 2019, he delivered a speech at the Malay Dignity Congress, an event which featured some of the most virulent speeches condemning non-malays in Malaysia.
All is not gloom though and there may be a ray of hope in the darkness of this controversy. On the 10th March 2020, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government helmed by Tan Sri Muhyuddin Yassin started the National Unity government, an off-shoot of 3 previous ministry with ‘National Unity’ in its name. That would suggest or hint at the past failures to unite Malaysians. The acid test for the PN government now is to ensure that they do not bow down to pressure to appeal the high court verdict in the Jill Ireland’s case.
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