Former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir cannot be more wrong when he said that non-Muslims insisting on the use of the word ‘Allah’ in peninsular Malaysia are disrupting what was already a working arrangement, claiming that “insisting to do so creates tensions between different religions” as non-Muslims in the peninsula do not traditionally use the word.
This is because three generations of Malaysians regardless of race or religion have been singing the state anthems of seven states, Johore, Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu invoking the name of Allah to bless and protect the Sultan and people. Were they wrong?
The six-line Perak state anthem invoked Allah’s name four times, viz:
Dilanjutkan Allah usianya Sultan
Adil dan murah memerintah watan
Ditaati rakyat kiri dan kanan
Iman yang soleh Allah kurniakan
Allah berkati Perak Darul Ridzuan
Allah selamatkan Negeri dan Sultan
Allah, grant the Sultan a long life
Just and gracious, ruling the homeland
Obeyed by the people left and right
Allah endow the righteous faith
Sanctify Perak Darul Ridzuan, O Allah
Salvage the State and Sultan, O Allah
Allah’s name is invoked thrice in the Terengganu state anthem, viz:
Allah daulatkan Tuanku Sultan,
Terengganu Darul Iman,
Allah peliharakan Tuanku Sultan,
Sejahtera sepanjang zaman,
Allah rahmatkan Tuanku Sultan,
Memerintah rakyat aman.
God may his majesty remain sovereign,
Terengganu the abode of faith,
God bless his majesty,
Blissful throughout his reign,
God bestow mercy upon his majesty,
Govern the people in peace.
The Johore anthem starts with “Allah peliharakan Sultan” and ends with:
Allah berkati Johor
Allah selamatkan Sultan
The Pahang anthem starts with
Ya Allah Yang Masa Kuasa,
Lanjutkan Usia Duli Yang Maha Mulia,
and ends with
Ya Allah Selamatkan Duli Tuanku Raja Kami
The name of Allah is invoked in Selangor state anthem’s “Allah lanjutkan usia Tuanku”, Kelantan state anthem’s “Segala Kebesaran Allah cucurkan” and Kedah state anthem’s “Allah selamat Sultan Makhota”.
Have three generations of Malaysians, particularly non-Muslims in the seven states of Johore, Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu done wrong and been offending the sensitivities of their Muslim contemporaries in using the name of Allah to bless and protect the Sultan and people when singing the respective state anthems?
Were the Muslims particularly in these seven states in the past 56 years offended that non-Muslim Malaysians were also using the word “Allah” in these state anthems?
The answer can only be a powerful “No’.
If so, why should the “Allah” controversy deteriorate to its present level as to create the worst racial and religious polarization in the country as to transform Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia Policy into a 2Malaysia Policy especially over constitutional rights of Malaysians, seriously tarnish Malaysia’s international reputation as a moderate “model” plural nation and undo all efforts to attract foreign investments by raising vexing questions including the system of justice and the independence of the judiciary in Malaysia?
The ball is in Najib’s court for him to prove that he is Prime Minister for all Malaysians and that his 1Malaysia Policy is not actually a 2Malaysia Policy!
#1 by Dipoh Bous on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 11:34 am
Semoga dibukakan pintu hati manusia sesat di Malaysia ini untuk melihat kebenaran sebelum lebih ramai akan disesatkan.
#2 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 11:53 am
Trust him, TDM will argue that the class of people requiring the use of the word in State anthems and the people singing the anthems are vastly different from the class of people requiring the use of that word in the case of Catholic Herald’s publication or the persons exposed or reached by such publication. And in the latter case, the risk and danger of influence on, effrontery to and confusion of the class of people whose proselytization is prohibited by constitution/law is comparatively so much more clear and present than the state anthems having regard to the different circumstances…
#3 by lee tai king (previously dagen) on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 12:41 pm
So umno now officially owns the word (notice that I actually refrain from mentioning that forbidden WORD) and according to the court decision non’s would no longer be allowed to use it.
If I may suggest, instead of using that word, we shall instead and in its place use: DOLLAH.
The perak anthem would go something like this “Dollah, grant the sultan a long life.”
#4 by yhsiew on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 12:58 pm
Former attorney general Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman said the court’s decision is binding on all Malaysians. The seven states should therefore come up with another version of the state anthem, without the banned word, specifically tailored for non-Muslims.
#5 by good coolie on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 1:03 pm
Many generations of Christians in Borneo have been using “Allah” to refer to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob since the 1600s. Now that parts of Borneo are in Malaysia, and those citizens are living and working in the Malay Peninsula, does it make sense to ban them from addressing God as “Allah”. What law are they breaking. Against which provision of the Constitution have they transgressed? Remember, the Herald is a paper restricted to Christian readership
#6 by worldpress on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 1:23 pm
Go back Mama and stop bising
Many Malaysians here not welcome you
#7 by bryanbb on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 1:49 pm
Many Malaysians do not see that this is not merely quarelling over a term to refer to God..
It is also about preserving and protecting the sanctity of our constitution that guaranteed us the right to religious freedom without being dictated to, on how and what we can/cannot do to practice our faiths, within reason of course.
Obnoxious , Arrogant but most of all” IGNORANT” is how Tun M’s statements come off as..due to total lack of understanding and knowledge about a minority community’s faith and how it is practiced esp Christianity.
Muslims in general have no clue at all, they just go to the mosque for worship and devotion but how often do they visit churches and observed how christians worship, esp in Bahasa.NEVER.!
In the english and chinese church services, Allah is not used because there are direct translations n chinese version of GOD, but none in Bahasa so both Tuhan and Allah is used, both terms have different connotations , one means Lord and other is GOD , both terms commonly used among the Bahasa speaking christian community in peninsular churches. ie. Jesus is the Lord ,our GOD..translated –. Yesus ialah Tuhan , Allah kita.
Been used for many Years in peninsular and had never been an issue till now..
And the call to demand that this spiritual reference is banned and Christians mindsets be changed overnight.?
Bear in mind that ” Allah” is a term that is as Exalted , Holy and as Reverent a term for the Bahasa speaking Christians in reference to God as it is to the Muslims. Not as simple as it seems.
And Perkasa Ibrahim Ali is calling for a ban on Malay bibles to teach Christians a lesson..! It is getting more absurd by the day..!
http://blogoptimizing.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/why-dont-ban-bahasa-use-to-practice-christianity/
#8 by balance88 on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 2:30 pm
Does it mean that we are no longer allowed to sing the Selangor state anthem? Or do we sing the Selangor anthem like this – “(silent) lanjutkan usia Tuanku” ? I find the ruling and all the controversies surrounding the “1 word” amusing and ridiculous.
As long as the “1 word” is not used in a derogatory manner, it should not matter. Religion, any religion, belongs to the masses and no one or one group of people can claim exclusivity to their god.
There are more important things to address like the economic situation, corruption, morality and other social issues than to fight over the “1 word”. The ruling does not make sense and defies logic. Our PM Najib can give a wonderful idealistic speech overseas but back home, he does not walk the talk. Just pure NATO (No action talk only). Najib is just trying to be a showman like the Americans. Talk a lot but nothing gets done!
So,
#9 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 3:13 pm
Throughout ALL THE YEARS Mahathir has been in politics, he has NEVER QOUTED FROM THE RELIGIOUS TEXTS. It really the biggest difference between Tunku Abdul Rahman and Mahathir which what sealed Tunku’s place in Malaysian history forever superior to Mahathir. The truth is Mahathir’s despite his Islamic extremism, does not know his religious text that well, its all politics to him.
Mahathir comment in this issue, ONLY CONFIRMS THIS ISSUE IS ABOUT RACISM NOT RELIGION – including that of those in PAS that supports their view. .Reasoning that Malays Muslim can be confused IS ENTITLEMENT – racial entitlement. They feel entitled to use govt power when its convenient, easy, pride, empowerment – largely about bureaucracy but also sensibilities, not facts or even the strict principles of religion.
Mahathir don’t comment on religion, its all about politics and these days its always RACIST or PERSONAL..
#10 by the reds on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 3:15 pm
Good point, well said! I have been singing the state song since my primary school assembly!
#11 by sotong on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 3:56 pm
Politics of religion had done enormous damage to Islam and Muslims in general……these politicians are playing with religion to control the ignorant to hold on to power at all cost.
What these unprincipled politicians are saying is Muslims are ignorant and lack understanding of their religion and therefore, need ‘ protection ‘ to prevent them from being confused.
This is a great insult to Islam and real Muslims.
#12 by undertaker888 on Saturday, 19 October 2013 - 6:17 pm
What does he mean by working arrangement?
This mamak has become more and more kurang ajar.
#13 by boh-liao on Sunday, 20 October 2013 - 7:12 am
We now C more n more of d farked up racist attitude n mind of UmnoB n Perkosa
Would Sabahans n Sarawakians choose 2 form M’sia with Malaya in 1963 had they known dat UmnoB would ban n criminalise them from using dis long-used word in 2013?