Prison Department Denies Confiscation Of Bibles

A press statement was issued by Abdul Kadir Rais of the Sarawak Prison Department (SPD) on 2 May 2013, dismissing the allegation that Malay and Iban language Bibles have been confiscated from a prison in Sibu, Sarawak.

Earlier on April 29, 2013, Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported that Malay and Iban-language bibles with the word ‘Allah’ have been confiscated from Sibu prison in Sarawak.

FMT quotes Prem Kumar, executive director of Prison Fellowship Ministry (PFM) as follows:

“These past two weeks, [prison authorities] kept taking away the Malay and Iban-language bible from the prisoners because they have the word Allah in it,”

 

“So now these prisoners have got nothing to read, and they really need help,”

Prem said authorities began seizing the religious books after the Sibu Prison director wrote a letter to the prison headquarters in Kajang, questioning the use of “Allah” bibles by inmates.

Prem disclosed the Malaysian Prison Department through memo JP/PML/Kp/2 (58) dated July 25, 2011 titled ‘Use of Illegal Publication As Teaching Tools’ clearly mentions [guidelines on the use of books or articles containing the word Allah in Sarawak prisons].