KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court on Monday granted the Catholic Church leave to seek judicial review over the government's decision to forbid the use of the word "Allah" in its weekly publication Herald.
In January, former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Abdullah Mohd Zin said the Herald was not allowed to use the word "Allah" in its publications, citing Cabinet decisions on the matter.
He said restrictions on the use of the word "Allah", as decided by the Cabinet in two of its meetings on Oct 18 and Nov 1 2006, was in force and was to be upheld.
On Dec 31 last year, the publication’s editor Father Lawrence Andrew said the weekly was allowed to continue printing its Bahasa Malaysia section with no restriction on the use of the word "Allah" for God.
He said a representative from the Internal Security Ministry delivered a letter dated Dec 28 with the permit to print the newspaper and that according to him, the letter did not place any restrictions whatsoever.
The newspaper carries reports in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Tamil and Chinese, about the Catholic community. It has a circulation of 12,000.
In January, former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Abdullah Mohd Zin said the Herald was not allowed to use the word "Allah" in its publications, citing Cabinet decisions on the matter.
He said restrictions on the use of the word "Allah", as decided by the Cabinet in two of its meetings on Oct 18 and Nov 1 2006, was in force and was to be upheld.
On Dec 31 last year, the publication’s editor Father Lawrence Andrew said the weekly was allowed to continue printing its Bahasa Malaysia section with no restriction on the use of the word "Allah" for God.
He said a representative from the Internal Security Ministry delivered a letter dated Dec 28 with the permit to print the newspaper and that according to him, the letter did not place any restrictions whatsoever.
The newspaper carries reports in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Tamil and Chinese, about the Catholic community. It has a circulation of 12,000.
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