Police reports, protests over use of 'Allah' word

The Penang branch of Malay right-wing group Perkasa today lodged 25 police reports over a statement made by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on the use of the word 'Allah'.

Penang Perkasa deputy president Azmi Alang led several Perkasa members in making the reports and called on the police to take stern action against Lim.

"We also handed over a memorandum to the police seeking action against the chief minister whose statement is akin to questioning the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,who is the head of Islam in the country," he told reporters outside the North East District Police headquarters here.

Several portals had allegedly reported Lim as having said on Dec 12 that the restriction on the use of the word 'Allah' as contained in the Penang State Islamic Religious Administration Enactment 2004 applied only to Muslims.

Meanwhile, 30 Perkasa members gathered in front of the Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (Komtar), where the state government offices are located, to stage a protest.

The group arrived at Komtar at about 2.30 pm and attempted to go to the third floor of the building to hand over a memorandum to Penang Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, but was prevented from doing so by the police.

Members of the group called out to Lim and Abdul Malik to come out of their offices to meet them but the two leaders did not do so.

The group then handed a memorandum to Abdul Malik's special assistant Ziezul Hakim Zainol.

Penang Perkasa president Mohd Rizuad Mohd Azudin urged Abdul Malik to advise Lim, who he said might not be well-versed with Islamic religious affairs, to withdraw the statement.

"We were disappointed with him (Abdul Malik) for having expressed support for the chief minister's statement. If he is incapable of defending the rights of Muslims in the state, he should step down," he said.

Abdul Malik had told a news conference on Dec 17 that Lim's statement was based on fact and not policy, and that Lim had not committed any offence.

In IPOH, about 100 members of several NGOs joined a peaceful protest over Lim's statement in front of the Perak DAP headquarters in Medan Istana, and handed a memorandum to Tebing Tinggi state assemblyman Ong Boon Piaw.

The NGOs included Perkasa, Majlis Ayahanda-ayahanda Perak, Pertubuhan Merong Wangsa Perak and Persatuan Anak-anak Perak.

Perkasa committee member Mohd Hafez Mubin Mohd Salleh said Lim's statement challenged the Federal Constitution, and questioned the authority of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the edict of the National Fatwa Council on the use of the word 'Allah'.