The cabinet has been urged to provide a decisive plan to end the “Allah” dispute when it meets tomorrow and not delay on a decision any further.
 
In a press release today, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang said Health Minister S Subramaniam had previously said a decision was supposed to be made during the first cabinet meeting last week.
 
Following the cabinet meeting, Subramaniam told reporters that the only thing that was decided that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was the only cabinet member allowed to make statements on the issue in the future.
 
Lim described cabinet's unwilling to put it foot down and Najib's continued unwillingness to decide on the matter as the “farce of the decade”.
 
"All eyes are turned on Najib and the cabinet on its second meeting of the year tomorrow, and it should not continue to act in an irresponsible, cowardly and craven manner and avoiding the issue," he said in a press statement today. 
 
Lim urged the cabinet to muster the courage of leadership in endorsing the 10-point solution on the 'Allah' matter at the cabinet tomorrow.
 
"Are there no moderates and patriots left in the cabinet?" he asked.
 
The 10-point solution decided by Najib's cabinet in 2011 allows free use of Bibles with the word "Allah" in East Malaysia while those in peninsular Malaysia must carry a "For Chirstians Only" stamp.
 
'Reversing past policies'
 
This was to address concerns by Muslims groups that Christian use of the word "Allah" could confuse Muslims and used to proselytise to them.
 
Despite the agreement, Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) raided the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) on Jan 2 and carted away over 300 copies of the Bible in the Malay language and 10 copies of the Bible in the Iban language.
 
BSM had argued that they were merely importers of the book and that the religious authorities were in violation of the 10-point solution.
 
Jais on the other hand argued that they were merely enforcing the Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment 1988, which bans non-Muslims from using the term “Allah”, among other words associated with Islam.
 
Lim also called on former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to explain why he is not standing by past agreements with the Christian community in allowing them to use "Allah" and is instead now siding with ultra conservative groups to stoke religious tension.
 
"Moderates in  Malaysia, regardless of their political hue or religious creed, whether in cabinet or outside, must unite  as patriots to save the country from the conspiracy of reactionaries and anti-democratic forces out to turn the clock back to the discredited policies of the past," he said.