Exco said JAIS forgot to inform the state on raid

Selangor state executive councillor for Islamic Affairs, Sallehin Mukyi said the Selangor Islamic Religious department (Jais) had forgotten to inform the state of its decision to raid the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM).

Sallehin who met Jais director Ahmad Zaharin Mohd Saad and its enforcement chief on Friday said the raid was conducted without his knowledge and that the Menteri Besar’s Office was also not consulted.

“They said it had slipped their mind and that the raid was done as Jais felt that there was a breach of the 1988 enactment on the use of the word 'Allah',” he told an online news portal.

In the Thursday morning raid, some 300 bibles in Bahasa Malaysia and Iban language were confisticated.

Three BSM officials were also reportedly arrested but released after a few hours of questioning.

The Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988 prohibits non-Muslims from using 35 Arabic words in the Selangor state, including the word for God, "Allah”.

Christians comprise about 10 percent of Malaysia's population, or 2.6 million people.

Nearly two-thirds of these Christian are largely Bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak, where they use Malay and indigenous languages in their religious practices, including describing God as " Allah" in their prayers and scripture.

Meanwhile, Selangor CPO Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan told Bernama that police have recorded statements from 10 people in their investigation into reports against Father Lawrence Andrew, editor of The Herald weekly on the 'Allah' issue.

He said a total of 86 reports were received against the remark by Lawrence Andrew for his alleged statement that the word 'Allah' would continue to be used in Catholic churches in Selangor.

He said so far, no statement has been recorded from Lawrence.