Don’t discuss the law, Malaysian government tells lawyers
ICC Note:
“The Malaysian government has warned the country’s lawyers not to debate legal issues relating to religion on the bar council’s own website.”
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3/23/09 Malaysia (Telegraph) At the heart of the row is whether non-Muslims in the multi-racial country should be allowed to use the word “Allah”.
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“If they (the Bar Council) continue to play up the issue, the Muslims may rise and if they do, the Bar should not be angry but willing to accept the consequences,” Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Minister in charge of Islamic affairs, warned on Sunday.
“This is the final warning for the Bar Council … The cabinet and parliament too had ruled that the issue should not be put to discussion.
“After this I hope no individual or organisation will raise the issue.”
Around 60 per cent of Malaysians are ethnic Malays who are defined by law as Muslims and forbidden from leaving the religion. The rest of the population are mostly Buddhists, Hindus and Christians of Chinese and Indian origin.
