Non-Muslims can't use 'Allah' - Sultan Selangor

The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, today ordered the use of the word "Allah" in the Bible and Malay version of 'The Herald' to be ceased immediately.

He said this was to avoid confusion among Muslims over the use of the word when used by other religions.

As such, he called on the Selangor people to respect and abide by the decision of the Selangor Fatwa Council on the matter.

"The word Allah for Muslims refers to the one and only God as mentioned in Surah Al-Ikhlas (in the Quran)," said the sultan in a media statement issued by Selangor Royal Council secretary Hanafisah Jais.

The Sultan of Selangor, after a discussion with the Selangor Royal Council last Nov 11, decided that the people in the state, regardless their religion and origin, were to abide by the ban on the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims.

This is provided under Section 9 of the Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment 1988.

The sultan advised all quarters to not make the issue on the use of the word 'Allah" as a political agenda as it involved the Islamic faith.

He also called on Muslims to unite to safeguard the sanctity of Islam and to prevent any quarters from abusing or insulting the word "Allah".

"Issues on religion should not be looked at lightly because it can bring bad implications to the country's security and also create tension among the races in the country," he added.