S'gor Umno opts for memo, not demo
Selangor Umno today scrapped its original plan to hold a demonstration and opted to submit a memorandum to the sultan on the 'Allah' controversy instead.
Selangor Umno today scrapped its original plan to hold a demonstration and opted to submit a memorandum to the sultan on the 'Allah' controversy instead. 
While some 20 police personnel kept watch, about 100 Umno members led by Selangor Umno religious bureau chief Ismail Kijo submitted the memorandum at Istana Bukit Kayangan in Shah Alam this afternoon.
Also submitted were two other memoranda from Malay-based NGO Persatuan Pribumi Perkasa Negara (Perkasa) and Majlis Gabungan Sukarela Selangor, which urged the sultan to raise the issue with the Conference of Rulers.
The sultan's aide commander Ahmad Ramli Kardi accepted the three documents amidst chants of 'Allahu Akbar' and 'Daulat Tuanku'.
The Umno members also demanded that PAS Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad be "kicked out" of Selangor for defending the rights of non-Muslims to use the word 'Allah'.
They also brought banners which among others read, "Allah is Great" and "Allah is only for Muslims".
Agrees with 'kufur' declaration
During his speech, Selangor Umno religious bureau deputy chief Zainal Abidi, who is also the chairperson of Selangor Perkasa, said that he was on the same page with PAS deputy spiritual leader Haron Din and Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria regarding this issue.
Both Haron and Harussani declared that Muslims who agreed with the court ruling that Catholic weekly Herald had the right to use the word Allah are committing 'kufur' (the action of a non-believer).
"If Muslims accept the decision (for non-Muslims to use the term), it shows that Allah’s status has been demoted," said Zainal.
"We can accept Allah's name being uttered (by non-Muslims) but we would not accept it if this is enshrined in law," he added.
Tomorrow, several Muslim-based organisations plan to stage demonstrations after the Friday prayers.
Yesterday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted the Home Ministry a stay of execution on the Dec 31 high court ruling allowing the Herald to use the word 'Allah' in its Malay-language edition, pending the hearing of an appeal.
