1.Malaysiakini.com (http://www.malaysiakini.com)
Herald fails to revoke 'Allah' ban pending case , 28 May 2009
The Catholic Church's application for a stay of the Home Ministry and government's order and decision in prohibiting the use of the word "Allah" in its publication has been dismissed today.This is inspite of a leave granted to the church by the High Court on April 24 to pursue its suit against the government over the ban.
The decision today not to grant the stay to the church was made by the Kuala Lumpur High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Lau Bee Lan.
"The judge held that if the stay was granted, this will be tantamount to supporting the offence that will be committed if the Catholic Herald's publication was to be circulated to other states," senior federal counsel Andi Razalijaya A Dadi said after the judge's decision.
"Under Section 9 of the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religious State Enactment, it is an offence for Muslims and non-Muslims alike to publish or broadcast the word "Allah" in association with non-Islamic religions," he added.
Earlier, Lau spent almost four hours hearing submissions from the lawyers before arriving at her decision.
Counsel S Selvarajah and Porres Royan appeared for the applicant Archbishop Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam, while Andi and senior federal counsel Munahyza Mustaffa appeared for the Home Ministry which is named as a respondent.
Justice Lau also fixed July 7 for hearing of the judicial review.
Last month, justice Lau granted the church's leave application to quash the ministry's decision on Jan 7, 2009 that the applicant's publication permit was subject to the condition that it be prohibited from using the word "Allah" in the Herald.
The archbishop was granted leave to apply for nine declarations, including to declare that the decision of the Home Ministry and the government was illegal and ultra vires (beyond the powers) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
Archbishop seeking several declaration
The Herald newsletter's Bahasa Malaysia version caters for indigenous people in Sabah and Sarawak, but the weekly is also published in English, Chinese and Tamil.
It has a weekly circulation of 14,000 and an estimated readership of 50,000.
Murphy in filing the judicial review application had sought several declarations namely:-
the applicant has the constitutional right to use the word "Allah" in the Herald in the exercise of his right that other religions other than Islam may be practised in peace.
Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution does not empower the respondents to prohibit the applicant from using the word "Allah" in the Herald.
・the applicant has the constitutional right to use the word "Allah" in the weekly in the exercise of his right to freedom of speech and expression.
・the applicant has the constitutional right to use the word "Allah" in the Herald in the exercise of his freedom of religion which includes the right to manage its own religious affairs.
・the applicant has the constitutional right to use the word "Allah" in the Herald in the exercise of his right in respect of education of the Catholic congregation in the Christian religion.
・the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 does not authorise the respondents to prohibit the applicant from using the word "Allah" in the Herald.
・that the word "Allah" is not exclusive to the religion of Islam.
2. Utusan Malaysia (http://www.utusan.com.my)
Mahkamah tolakpermohonan Herald Catholic , 29 Mei 2009
KUALA LUMPUR 28 Mei - Mahkamah Tinggi hari ini menolak permohonan akhbar mingguan, Herald Catholic Weekly, bagi mendapatkan perintah menangguh keputusan Kementerian Dalam Negeri melarangnya menggunakan perkataan "Allah" dalam penerbitan itu.
Hakim Lau Bee Lan membuat keputusan itu dalam kamar selepas mendengar penghujahan peguam S.Selvarajah dan Porres Royan yang mewakili pemohon, ketua paderi Datuk Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam, dan Peguam-peguam Kanan Persekutuan Munahyza Mustaffa dan Andi Razalijaya A.Dadi, yang mewakili Kementerian Dalam Negeri, selaku responden.
Andi Razalijaya berkata hakim membuat keputusan itu berdasarkan Seksyen 9 Enakmen Kawalan dan Sekatan Pengembangan Agama Bukan Islam Kepada Orang Islam bahawa adalah menjadi kesalahan bagi umat Islam dan penganut bukan Islam menerbitkan atau menyiarkan perkataan "Allah" untuk dikaitkan dengan agama selain Islam.
''Hakim berpendapat jika permohonan penangguhan itu dibenarkan, ia ibarat menyokong kesalahan yang akan dilakukan jika Herald diedar di negeri-negeri lain,'' katanya kepada pemberita di luar kamar hakim itu.
Pada 24 April lepas, Pakiam mendapatkan kebenaran Mahkamah Tinggi untuk membatalkan keputusan Kementerian Dalam Negeri bertarikh 7 Jan 2009 bahawa permit penerbitan akhbar itu bagi tempoh 1 Jan 2009 hingga 31 Dis 2009, tertakluk kepada syarat bahawa pemohon tidak menggunakan perkataan "Allah" dalam Herald.
Dia juga dibenarkan memohon sembilan perintah termasuk mengisytiharkan keputusan Kementerian Dalam Negeri dan kerajaan Malaysia sebagai tidak sah dan melanggar Akta Mesin Cetak dan Penerbitan 1984.
Dalam permohonannya bagi semakan undang-undang, Pakiam memohon antara lain agar ditetapkan bagi dia mempunyai hak daripada segi perlembagaan untuk menggunakan perkataan "Allah" dalam Herald dan bahawa Akta Mesin Cetak dan Penerbitan tidak membenarkan responden melarangnya menggunakan perkataan "Allah" dalam akhbar itu.
Hakim Bee Lan menetapkan 7 Julai ini untuk mendengar permohonan semakan undang-undang itu. - BERNAMA
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