Political & judicial authority

The Christian community in Malaysia is gravely dismayed and very disappointed by the decision of the Court of Appeal to uphold the power of the Minister to ban the use of the word Allah in the Herald publication.

In a wide-ranging decision, all Christian publications in Bahasa Malaysia would appear to be affected by this ruling.

By stating that “the name ‘Allah’ is not an integral part of the faith and practice of Christianity”, the court has totally ignored the position of our East Malaysian Bumiputra and Orang Asli Christians who constitute 60% of the church in Malaysia and who are Bahasa Malaysia-speaking. Read more »

The Catholic Lawyers Society, Kuala Lumpur expresses its disappointment with the Court of Appeal decision that allowed inter alia the government’s appeal to prohibit the Herald publication from using the word, ‘Allah’ in its Bahasa Malaysia edition.

Based on the summary of the decision read out by Justice Dato’ Apandi Ali, the Court of Appeal found that there is no infringement of the constitutional right claimed by the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur. Read more »

Greetings in the name of our precious Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus.

As we cross over from the Jubilee Year of Malaysia into the next 50 years, we reaffirm the foundational basis of the formation of this beloved nation of ours.

We will strive together with all Malaysians and our government, both at the federal and state level in working on the God-given task of nation building. Read more »

Greetings in the name of our precious Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus.

As we cross over from the Jubilee Year of Malaysia into the next 50 years, we reaffirm the foundational basis of the formation of this beloved nation of ours.

We will strive together with all Malaysians and our government, both at the federal and state level in working on the God-given task of nation building. Read more »

The Malaysian Bar is shocked and appalled by recent revelations in the media with respect to what was said by Dato’ Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi, Minister of Home Affairs, at a speech delivered at the Malacca International Trade Centre in Ayer Keroh, Malacca, on 5 October 2013. Read more »

The Malaysian Bar is troubled and disappointed by the passage into law of the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (“Act”) in the early hours of 3 October 2013.

The re-introduction of preventive detention without trial laws and the limitation or ouster of the jurisdiction of the courts in the Act, which was passed through Parliament, is a great blow to the rule of law in Malaysia.

It is very sad that for a country wishing to move forward, we had at midnight regressed and moved backwards. Read more »

Reporters Without Borders reports that dissident lawyer and blogger Le Quoc Quan has been sentenced to 30-month prison sentence and fine of $59,000, by the Hanoi Court in Vietnam.

Court president Le Thi Hop announced after a half-day trial in Hanoi. The court also ordered the seizure of Quan’s assets worth $27,000. Read more »

The Malaysian Bar, the Sabah Law Association and the Advocates’ Association of Sarawak are appalled by the numerous proposed amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (“PCA”) and 10 other legislations, including proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code and the Evidence Act 1950.

The proposed amendments to the PCA are objectionable and repugnant to the rule of law. Read more »

The re-opening of the school year for five Christian schools operating among the population of the Gaza Strip took place with no surprises.

"Children and teachers went back to school and everything was done in an orderly manner", confirms to Fides Agency Sister Nazareth, a religious of the female branch of the Institute of the Incarnate Word who is responsible for the pastoral care of the Catholic parish of the Holy Family. Read more »

The Court of Appeal on 10 September 2013 heard the Home Minister and the Government’s appeal against the High Court decision that allowed the Catholic Herald newspaper to use of the word 'Allah'.

Other parties to the appeal included 6 State Islamic Bodies and the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MCMA).

Various other parties held a watching brief in support of the Kuala Lumpur Archbishop, the Respondent to the Appeal. Read more »