MIRI – Sarawak police have received 37 police reports against a social media user, allegedly from Peninsular Malaysia, for provocative comments against Christians pertaining to the high court ruling on the use of the word “Allah”.
State police commissioner Datuk Aidi Ismail said the reports were received throughout Sarawak from individuals and groups.
“All the reports have been forwarded to Bukit Aman headquarters.
“Investigations have already started against the Facebook user for inciting the public,” he said in a press statement here today.
The posts allegedly by a woman in Selangor called for protests against Christians following the March 10 ruling in the KL High Court.
The KL High Court overruled the federal government’s 1986 directive banning non-Muslims from using the word “Allah” and three other Islamic terms.
Judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin had ruled in favour of a civil suit by a Sarawakian Melanau Christian woman, Jill Lawrence.
Jill had filed the suit against the federal government 13 years ago after she was stopped at Kuala Lumpur International Airport from bringing in books and cassettes containing the word.
Jill filed her suit to seek a declaration that she has the right to practise her faith freely.
She had sought a declaration that the government's directive on December 5, 1986 to ban non-Muslims from using “Allah” is unconstitutional and invalid.
Judge Nor Bee ruled that Jill is free to use the word in practice of her religion and to use any publications containing “Allah” for education purposes.
She ruled that the government’s ban is unconstitutional and thus invalid.
The Home Ministry is appealing against the ruling in the Court of Appeal. – The Vibes, March 16, 2021
