Former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek has urged Pakatan Rakyat to resolve the controversy sparked off by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) with regard to the confiscation of copies of the Bible.

He said since Jais falls under the purview of the state government and had acted on a decree from the Selangor sultan, this should not be turned into a national issue.  

"Since Jais is under the state government, Pakatan is fully accountable for the Jais raid and should not push the issue to the police or Prime Minister’s Office.

"If Jais' action is tantamount to abuse of power, the state government should take action," he added in a press statement.

In response to Jais' seizure of more than 300 Malay and Iban copies of the Bible from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) with the word 'Allah' in them last week, the Selangor state government today urged Putrajaya to clarify if a 10-point solution approved by the cabinet in 2011 is still in place.

Meanwhile, Chua also denounced the three DAP state assemblypersons' bid to amend the Selangor state enactment, saying that "only a red herring will cause more problems than solve them".

"One should not use religious matters as a way to score political mileage," he said.

But when it came down to whether non-Muslims should be allowed to use the word 'Allah', Chua's statement was ambivalent.

"As a Malaysian, I am disappointed with the stand taken by politicians from both sides of the political divide on the usage of the word 'Allah'," he said, adding that the usage of the term has not been an issue since Malaysia's independence until lately.

"Cool heads should prevail. As Malaysians with different religious backgrounds, it is our responsibility to uphold rule of law and to take into consideration the sensitivity of different groups. There is no need to push the boundary.

"One should not be a hero at the expense of the other communities, then only Malaysians can live in peace and harmony," he added.