YOU ARE JUDGED BY THE COMPANY YOU KEEP!

'Such, as he had said, has been ongoing during the late Chief Minister Pehin Sri Adenan Satem’s time. Why don’t Dato Sri Wong ask his fellow PSB presidential council member Baru Bian over what the Pakatan Harapan (PH) did to remedy the issue when they assumed Putrajaya in 2018 until 2020'.....quote GPS Backbenchers

https://www.theborneopost.com/.../gps-backbenchers-deny.../

 YOU ARE JUDGED BY THE COMPANY YOU KEEP!

From 1986 to 2021 and through 4 prime ministers.

Baru Bian: ‘Allah’ case wouldn’t have gone to court if Muhyiddin had acted in 2019 as home minister.

https://www.malaymail.com/.../baru-bian-allah.../1958821

Kalimah Allah Issue , Dr. Mahathir Mohammad & Failed Nation Building

              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.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysias-police-chief-warns-against-street-protests-on-allah-issue

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.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/14/malay-muslim-groups-demand-that-government-appeal-high-courts-allah-ruling/1957794

 

Kisah 'Allah' Di Mahkamah Malaysia

                      Kisah 'Allah'  Di Mahkamah Malaysia

'Keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi mengenai isu istilah' Allah 'menunjukkan bahawa rakyat Malaysia benar-benar bebas menganut agama masing-masing' '... dipetik daripada Tan Sri Datuk Dr. James Masing, Timbalan Ketua Menteri dan presiden Parti Rakyat Sarawak.

James Masing dan ADUN Marudi, Penguang Manggil, adalah dua pemimpin dayak di dalam kerajaan GPS Sarawak yang mengeluarkan kenyataan media untuk meraikan bersama kemenangan mahkamah Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill dalam kisah isu 'Allah', sebuah perjalanan panjang yang bermula Ogos 2008. Kontroversi ini tercetus kerana penggunaan kata-kata Allah, Kaabah, Solat & Baitullah oleh orang bukan Islam, antara lain bermula pada tahun 1986 ketika Menteri Dalam Negeri ketika itu Dr Mahathir Mohammad mengharam Uskup Agung Roman Katolik Kuala Lumpur daripada menggunakan Allah di “The Herald” dan dari penerbitan gereja yang lain.

Penguang Manggil

Bagi perjalanan Gereja Roman Katolik dalam kisah ini, tonggak terakhir adalah ketika pada bulan Jun 2014 Mahkamah Persekutuan Malaysia (mahkamah tertinggi di Malaysia), memutuskan bahawa tidak ada hak perlembagaan bagi orang bukan Islam untuk menggunakan kalimah "Allah".

https://classic.iclrs.org/content/events/44/1577.pdf

https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/allah-case-federal-court-rejects-catholic-church-application-reevaluate-decision-52544

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titular_Roman_Catholic_Archbishop_of_Kuala_Lumpur_v_Menteri_Dalam_Negeri

Walaupun begitu, penggunaan kalimah Allah tidak dilarang di dua negeri Malaysia iaitu Sabah dan Sarawak (Borneo) kerana mereka telah menggunakannya sejak dulu dan kedua-dua negeri tidak mempunyai undang-undang negara Islam yang serupa dengan yang berlaku di Tanah Melayu.

Sebagai catatan, Negeri Sarawak mempunyai perlembagaan sekular dan tidak mempunyai agama rasmi. Semua perkara di atas disebutkan hanya kerana perlu menunjukkan bahawa pertempuran di mahkamah telah lama dan sukar dan bagi sebahagian besar lalu berakhir dengan kegagalan bagi orang Kristian serta orang bukan Islam lain di Malaysia. Sepanjang kisah ini, Gereja Roman Katolik  dan Jill Ireland tidak mendapat sokongan daripada anggota parlimen bukan Islam dari Sarawak, yang kebanyakannya adalah anggota parlimen Dayak yang menganut agama Kristian sebagai agama mereka.

Pada suku terakhir 1986, tempoh yang bertepatan dengan 3 bulan pertama parlimen Malaysia ke-7, terdapat 18 anggota Parlimen dari Sarawak. Dari jumlah itu, 13 adalah ahli parlimen dayak bukan Islam. Semasa sidang pertama parlimen ke-7 yang berlangsung dari 6 Oktober 1986 hingga 7 Disember 1987, tidak seorang pun anggota parlimen bukan Islam dari Sarawak berdiri untuk menuntut pencabutan larangan penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh orang bukan Islam di Malaysia.

Kemenangan Jill Ireland di Mahkamah Tinggi semalam tidak akan dihiraukan sekiranya Kerajaan GPS Sarawak dan semua anggota Parlimen bukan Islam dari Sarawak enggan mengakui bahawa mereka mempunyai kewajiban untuk berjuang untuk memastikan bahawa keputusan semalam di mahkamah akan menjadi simbol kekal hak asasi rakyat Malaysia untuk menganut agama pilihan masing-masing. Ada kemungkinan kerajaan persekutuan akan mengemukakan rayuan di mahkamah yang lebih tinggi. Ramai mengetahui bahawa rakan GPS dalam kerajaan persekutuan PN ialah UMNO dan PAS kini mendesak kerajaan persekutuan untuk melakukan perkara itu.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/03/672834/umno-pas-call-appeal-over-court-ruling-use-allah-3-other-islamic

Di sini dinyatakan bahawa James Masing secara terbuka mengkritik UMNO dan PAS kerana berusaha untuk mengemukakan rayuan. Agenda UMNO dan PAS dalam isu ini mungkin tidak melampaui keperluan mereka untuk mendapatkan suara Muslim pada pilihan raya akan datang tetapi bagi orang bukan Islam di Malaysia, ini adalah persoalan hak asasi mereka, hak yang sama sekali tidak merampas umat Islam di Malaysia hak mereka.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/11/sarawak-dcm-pas-umnos-demand-for-putrajaya-to-appeal-allah-decision-ridicul/1956841

Mesej yang ingin disampaikan dalam artikel ini adalah khususnya kepada Kerajaan GPS Sarawak dan kepada semua anggota parlimen bukan Islam dari Sarawak adalah: Anda semua dipilih oleh rakyat Sarawak, untuk menjadi suara mereka di Dewan Undangan Negeri dan di parlimen Malaysia. Anda mempunyai kewajipan utama untuk melindungi semua hak asasi semua rakyat Sarawak dan itu termasuk hak untuk mengamalkan agama pilihan seseorang secara bebas. Kami tidak mahu melihat pengabaian tugas di DUN dan di kalangan anggota Parlimen Sarawak seperti yang kita lihat antara tahun 1986 hingga sekarang. Kenyataan akhbar seperti yang dikeluarkan oleh James Masing hari ini tidak bermakna. Itu hanya melepas batuk di tepi tangga, “semadi nadai”.

James Jemut Masing

GPS memungkinkan kerajaan persekutuan Perikatan Nasional (PN) sekarang wujud, tanpa memerlukan mandat daripada rakyat Malaysia. Dalam kata-kata beberapa pemimpin mereka dan beberapa “diehard followers”, mereka adalah pemimpin kerajaan dalam gabungan itu.

https://audie61.wordpress.com/2020/12/11/gps-the-kingmaker-between-pn-and-bn-in-grand-coalition/

https://thenewsarawak.com/gps-will-become-the-kingmaker-again-if-pn-collapses/

https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/06/12/when-youre-good-looking-everyone-wants-you-abang-jo-reveals-ph-attempt-to-woo-gps/

Sesungguhnya, GPS dalam peranan “kingmaker” mereka telah menyelesaikan beberapa perkara 'bersejarah'. PAS, yang sejak hari itu didaftarkan tidak pernah menjadi Kerajaan persekutuan atau sebahagian daripadanya dijadikan rakan dalam kerajaan persekutuan PN melalui peranan GPS dalam pembentukan Perikatan Nasional. GPS kini harus menggunakan kekuatannya sebagai pembuat keputusan dan menghentikan kerajaan persekutuan untuk mengemukakan banding atas keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi dalam kes Jill Ireland.

Sekiranya kerajaan GPS atau Ahli Parlimen bukan Islam dari Sarawak gagal melakukannya, orang Sarawak mempunyai hak untuk menganggap bahawa GPS sebenarnya tidak berminat melindungi hak orang Sarawak dan oleh itu pada pilihan raya negeri akan datang, rakyat Sarawak mesti menolaknya secara bulat-bulat.

 

"Allah" Saga In Malaysia’s Courts

 "Allah" Saga In Malaysia’s Courts

‘ The High Court’s verdict on the ‘Allah’ term issue shows that Malaysia indeed subscribes to freedom of religion’….quote Tan Sri Datuk Dr. James Masing, Deputy Chief Minister and president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak.

James Masing and ADUN for Marudi, Penguang Manggil, are two dayak leaders of the GPS government of Sarawak who issued media statements to celebrate Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill’s court victory in her ‘ Allah ‘ saga, a long hard journey which started August 2008. The controversy over the usage by non-muslim of the words Allah, Kaabah, Solat & Baitullah amongst others, in fact started in 1986 when the then Home Affairs Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammad banned the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur from using Allah in The Herald and from the other church’s publications.

Penguang Manggil

For the Roman Catholic Church’s journey in this saga, the last milestone was when in June 2014 the Federal Court of Malaysia (the highest court in Malaysia), ruled that there was no constitutional right for non-Muslims to use the word "Allah".

https://classic.iclrs.org/content/events/44/1577.pdf

https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/allah-case-federal-court-rejects-catholic-church-application-reevaluate-decision-52544

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titular_Roman_Catholic_Archbishop_of_Kuala_Lumpur_v_Menteri_Dalam_Negeri

Nevertheless, the use of the word Allah was not prohibited in the two Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo as they have already been using it since a long time ago and both states do not have similar Islamic state laws as those in Malaya.

For the record Sarawak has a secular constitution and it does not have an official state religion.

All of the above is mentioned only as it is necessary to show that the battle in court had been long and hard and for most parts, ended in failure for the Christians and other non-muslims in Malaysia. Throughout the saga, the Roman Catholic Church and Jill Ireland received no support from the non-muslims MPs from Sarawak, the majority of whom were dayaks MPs who professed Christianity as their religion.

In the last quarter of 1986, a period coinciding with the first 3 months of the 7th Malaysian parliament, there were 18 MPs in total from Sarawak. Out of that total, 13 were non-muslim dayak MPs. During the first session of the 7th parliament which lasted from the 6th Oct 1986 to the 7th Dec 1987, not even one non-muslim MP from Sarawak stood up to demand the revocation of the ban on the usage of the word Allah by non-muslims in Malaysia.

Jill Ireland’s victory in the High Court yesterday will count for nothing if the GPS government of Sarawak and all the non-muslim MPs from Sarawak refuse to acknowledge that they have duty to fight to ensure that yesterday’s verdict in the court will become a permanent symbol of Malaysians’ right to profess a religion of one’s choice. There is every possibility that the federal government will file an appeal with the higher courts. Indeed, GPS’s partner in the PN federal government namely UMNO and PAS is now urging the federal government to do exactly that.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/03/672834/umno-pas-call-appeal-over-court-ruling-use-allah-3-other-islamic

It is noted here that James Masing has publicly criticised UMNO and PAS for attempting to push for the appeal. UMNO and PAS’s agenda in the issue may not go further than their needs for muslim votes in the next general election but for the non-muslims in Malaysia, it is a question of their fundamental rights, a right which in no way deprive the muslims in Malaysia of their rights.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/11/sarawak-dcm-pas-umnos-demand-for-putrajaya-to-appeal-allah-decision-ridicul/1956841

The message which this article seeks to deliver to the GPS government of Sarawak and to all non-muslim MPs from Sarawak is this: All of you were elected by Sarawakians, to be their voice in the Dewan Undangan Negeri and in the Malaysian parliament. You have the primary duty to protect all the fundamental rights of all Sarawakians and that include the right to freely practise one’s preferred religion. We do not want to see dereliction of duty in the DUN and among Sarawak’s MPs such as the ones we saw between 1986 an now. A press statement like the one issued by James Masing today counts for nothing. It is merely melepas batuk di tepi tangga, a smadi nadai thing.

James Jemut Masing

GPS made it possible for the present Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government to come into being, without the need for a mandate from Malaysians. In the words of some of their leaders and some of diehard followers, they were the kingmaker in the coalition.

https://audie61.wordpress.com/2020/12/11/gps-the-kingmaker-between-pn-and-bn-in-grand-coalition/

https://thenewsarawak.com/gps-will-become-the-kingmaker-again-if-pn-collapses/

https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/06/12/when-youre-good-looking-everyone-wants-you-abang-jo-reveals-ph-attempt-to-woo-gps/

Indeed, GPS in their kingmaker’s role had accomplished some ‘historical’ things. PAS, which since the day it was registered had never been a federal government or part of it was made a partner in the PN federal government through GPS’s role in the formation of Perikatan Nasional. GPS must now employ its might as kingmaker and stopped the federal government from appealing the High Court verdict in the Jill Ireland’s case.

If the GPS government or the non-muslims MPs from Sarawak should fail to do that, Sarawakians have the rights to assume that GPS in fact is not interested in protecting the rights of Sarawakians and therefore in the coming state elections Sarawakians must roundly reject them.