As a continuation to my earlier column about truths that we ignore last week, allow me to focus on the how we cannot ignore the truths related to the use of the ‘Allah’ word in Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and the Borneo Island in general, premised and predicated upon Malaysian history.

‘Allah’ is before all of us! ‘Allah’ has revealed himself as Truth in history. Therefore, those who know ‘Allah’ as Truth have a moral responsibility to reflect that truth as his representatives or his caliphs.  Through this living representation we also reveal the Truth of ‘Allah’ as applied in the here and now. Then, others can come to know ‘Allah’ as THE Truth.

Otherwise, like the proverbial elephant and the seven blind men (or women), we walk in ignorance satisfied that our anthropomorphised truth is everyone’s truth as well. But then we also run the risk of not only ignoring Truth but also, worse still, denying that very Truth. Eternal truth will reveal our darkness and ignorance in the future; especially on Judgment Day.

Allow me therefore to give my interpretive version of these truth issues and our ignorance of many such small truths in our everyday life. In the first case of the Malay mosque of Taiping; it could easily have become an icon of truth and light in the ocean of peace which is Taiping; if we are good historians and brilliant, knowledgeable, architects of Malay history and culture. But, like the older cathedrals of much of Europe; maybe the Malay mosque in Taiping is now a post-modern relic of Malay history of the Perak Sultanate!

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In the second case, Tunku Zain Mukhriz asked an important question: “Why the ‘Unity is Strength’ thesis of Tunku Abdul Rahman ( right ) on our national crest is not good enough?  Instead, we have proposed two other theses; by Tun Dr Mahathir, and now a further attempted synthesis vide the ‘1Malaysia’ of Najib Tun Razak?”  

Can someone, anyone, answer the query to this important question as to why the later Governments have chosen to ignore the words of Bapa Merdeka?

Arabic roots

In Case 3, I had the personal privilege of attending an inter-faith dialogue hosted by the current Pakatan Rakyat leader, Anwar Ibrahim.

I had the even greater privilege of hearing Father Lawrence, the Editor of the Catholic Herald give a history lesson on the word ‘Allah’ and ‘Tuhan’.  According to him, the word from its Arabic roots for the last 15 centuries was first in fact translated in 1631, i.e. even before the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu existed! It was originally translated from the Latin Deo as ‘Allah’ in the then Malay-Latin dictionary.

An original copy of this Abridgement of Christian Doctrine in English and Malayan was printed for the Bishop of Malacca in Hong Kong and was dated 1895.  I have sighted a photocopy. He further argued that even the Malay word for ‘Tuhan’ may have its roots and origin and translated into Malay as “Tuan,” by similar dictionaries and translations; before the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka even existed!

Even more importantly also, the Rev Dr Hermen Shastri, the Honorary Secretary for Christian Federation of Malaysia and General Secretary for the Christian Council of Malaysia made the point that the No 4, 1982 gazette had already allowed the use of the four words in the Malay Bible.

Further, I have since been privileged to have in my possession another gazette issued by the Minister of Home Affairs dated 21st January 2009 with reference as [KDN: PQ (S) 700-9/3; PN (PU2) 216/IV] which explicitly allowed even these four words with a proviso that the words: “FOR CHRISTIANITY” be clearly printed in in the font 16 pt Arial bold.  

Policy flip flops

Why then this flip flop in public policies at the whim and fancy of so-called ministers of the government of the day?  Who is really making these decisions, if not the minister and the cabinet, under our parliamentary constitutional system of governance?

Is it then any wonder that Honorable Judge ruled six declarations against the Home Affairs Minister as follows:

1.    The Minister’s (and therefore Cabinet’s) decision is illegal, null and void;

2.    The Herald has a constitutional right to use the word under Article 3 (1);

3.    Islam being the religion of the Federation does not allow prohibition of the use of the word by others;

4.    The Herald has a constitutional right to use the word under Article 10’s freedom of religion;

5.    Article 11 gives the Herald the constitutional right to use the word Allah; and

6.    Under Article 11 and 12, the Herald has a right to use the word for instruction and education.  

The meeting was also informed that a Mahathir cabinet in 1981 discussed and allowed the use of the four words after Tan Sri Leo Moggie, then cabinet minister, made an appeal on behalf of the Sarawakian and Sabahan Malay-speaking natives, premised upon their 20-point agreements for the formation of Malaysia.        

 Language of the heart

More importantly, at different meetings I have attended with both the Sabahan and Sarawakian Christians and the Sikh community, their leaders have spoken vehemently that using the language of their hearts is fundamental to their forms of worship for all of them.  And, rather unfortunately, their languages also use the 15 Century old word ‘Allah’.

 In their minds and hearts, there can be no change to this at all; not without physical heart surgery!          

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The world’s greatest boxer there ever was, Muhammad Ali ( left ), made world famous the principle of ‘conscientious objection’. He refused to fight ln the war in Vietnam because he loved and promoted peace rather than war. Since then, conscientious objections on matters of faith have been battled in many fields.

My prayer is that our Council of Rulers will uphold the federal constitution and rights and privileges guaranteed to all Malaysians alike. After all, the Yang DiPertuan Agong only exists through the preservation of the constitutional monarchy and by retention and foundation of the constitution; with all rights and privileges of all concerned!

There is no second class Malaysian under the constitution within the nation. Every Malaysian’s rights and privileges need to be equally protected and preserved by our royalty to have relevance and significance under our constitution.  After all we are all Malaysians first; including all royalty.  Is that not what the true meaning of the slogan, that we are all part and parcel of  1Malaysia?

This column is dedicated to the memory of Uncle KK John of Taiping; a well known Malayalee Mar Thoma Community member and leader who lived a full life of service to mankind!)