PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu has changed his mind over the use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims by supporting the decision made by the PAS Syura Council.

Speaking to reporters after opening the Muslimat PAS election centre at Kota Baru last night, he said he abided by the decision made by the council that non-Muslims should not use the word in translation of their religious texts for it would not reflect on the real meaning of the sacred word.

"My stand is similar to that of the Syura Council," he quipped.

Mohamad or Mat Sabu recently asserted that non-Muslims were allowed to use the word 'Allah', claiming that the PAS president had issued a statement in 2010 not to forbid any religious adherent apart from Muslims to use it.

The controversy erupted after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, in his Christmas message, urged the federal government to allow Christians to use 'Allah' in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible.

Kelantan Menteri Besar and PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who previously agreed that ‘Allah’ could be used in the Bible, made a U-turn in his stand yesterday by clarifying why the word cannot be used by non-Muslims.

On Sunday, the PAS Syura Council said the Arabic word cannot be translated into, or translated from other languages, for it is a specific word used to refer to the Muslims' god.

- Bernama

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