1. Utusan Malaysia Online (http://www.utusan.com.my)
Empat negeri warta penggunaan “Allah” ikut garis panduan, 9 Mac 2009
KUALA LUMPUR 9 Mac — Empat negeri yang belum mewartakan larangan penggunaan perkataan “Allah, Baitullah, solat dan Kaabah” dalam sebarang bentuk penerbitan bukan Islam akan melaksanakannya dalam waktu terdekat, kata Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Beliau berkata pewartaan itu akan dibuat mengikut garis panduan yang dikeluarkan oleh Majlis Raja-raja Melayu berikutan negeri-negeri berkenaan iaitu Pulau Pinang, Wilayah Persekutuan, Sabah dan Sarawak tidak mempunyai raja.
“Pewartaan itu akan dibuat kemudian. Ia di bawah (Yang di-Pertuan) Agong dan ini akan dilakukan dalam waktu terdekat, kerana negeri-negeri ini tidak beraja,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas majlis Sambutan Maulidur Rasul 1430 Hijrah/2009 Masehi di sini hari ini.
Sebelum ini, Penasihat Agama Perdana Menteri Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin dilaporkan berkata bahawa majlis agama Islam negeri boleh mengambil tindakan terhadap pihak yang menggunakan perkataan “Allah, Baitullah, solat dan Kaabah" dalam sebarang bentuk penerbitan bukan Islam.
Beliau berkata ia diputuskan Muzakarah Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan sebelum ini dan sudah diwartakan di 10 negeri kecuali Wilayah Persekutuan, Pulau Pinang, Sabah dan Sarawak. (Bernama)
2. The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
Remaining states to gazette ruling for non-Muslim publications, 10 March 2009
KUALA LUMPUR: The four states which have yet to gazette a ruling prohibiting non-Muslim publications from using the word “Allah” will soon follow suit once the Conference of Rulers issues them a guideline on the matter.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Penang, the Federal Territory, Sabah and Sarawak would soon gazette the ruling as part of their state enactments on Islamic matters.
“These four states are without rulers. Hence, Islam is under the King’s jurisdiction. It (gazetting of the ruling) will be done very soon.
“They will follow the guidelines to be determined by the Conference of Rulers,” he told reporters after the national-level Maulidur Rasul celebration at Dataran Merdeka here yesterday.
It was reported that action could be taken against non-Muslim publications, including the Catholic weekly The Herald in 10 states if they were found to be using four words related to Islam, which included “Allah.”
Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Kelantan, Tereng-ganu, Kedah, Perlis and Selangor have made the ruling part of their state enactments on Islamic matters.
A fatwa had been issued to prohibit non-Muslim publications from using the words “Allah,” “Kaabah,” “Solat” and “Baitullah” in reading materials.
The Catholic church has applied for a judicial review over the use of the word “Allah,” seeking to quash the decision of the Internal Security Minister (now Home Minister) in a letter on Feb 12, which imposed conditions on the publishing permit of The Herald.
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3. Daily Express (http://www.dailyexpress.com.my)
Sabah to also gazette use of word 'Allah', 10 March 2009
Kuala Lumpur: Four states which have not gazetted the prohibition on the use of the words, "Allah", "Solat", "Kaabah" and "Baitullah", in any non-Muslim publication in the country, will do so soon.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the gazetting would be made in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Conference of Malay Rulers as the four states, Penang, Federal Territory, Sabah and Sarawak did not have a Sultan or Royal Ruler.
"They come under the jurisdiction of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (in respect of Islamic religious matters) as they do not have a ruler," he told reporters after a Maulidur Rasul 1430 Hijrah/2009 celebration, here, Monday.
Prior to this, Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin, the religious adviser to the Prime Minister, was quoted as saying that the respective state Islamic religious councils could take action against those who used the words, "Allah", "Solat", "Kaabah" and "Baitullah" in non-Muslim publications.
The decision on this was made by the National Fatwa Council as its consultative meeting and had been gazetted in 10 states except Penang, Federal Territory, Sabah and Sarawak.
The use of the words became an issue among Muslims after the local Catholic weekly, The Herald, used the word "Allah" is its Bahasa Malaysia edition.
Ahmad Zahid, when winding up the debate on the royal address in Parliament last Thursday, said although the government, 10 state Islamic religious councils and the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association had applied for their case for the ban to be referred to the Federal Court as it involved the Federal Constitution, 10 states had already gazetted the decision made by the National Fatwa Council on the ban.
He said the decision of the 10 states was made under the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religions Enactment.(Bernama)
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