The government has withdrawn its appeal against the High Court's ruling allowing non-Muslims to use the word "Allah" and three other words for teaching purposes, specifically Kaabah, Solat and Baitullah.

The appeal termination notice was filed by the senior federal counsel representing the Home Ministry and government on April 18th, confirmed by Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bolhassan.

The ruling, made on March 21st, 2021, by Court of Appeal judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin, concluded a 13-year legal battle initiated by Jill Ireland, a Christian woman from Sarawak. The court deemed the Home Ministry's directive to prohibit the use of these words by non-Muslims as "illegal" and "irrational," stating that it surpassed the scope of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA). Nor Bee further emphasized Ireland's constitutional right to use and import publications for religious education, while also acknowledging that the word "Allah" can only be used by the church for Christian publications. The court had also highlighted the historical usage of the term "Allah" by Christians in Sabah and Sarawak for about four centuries.

Ireland had filed the judicial review in August 2008 after the Home Ministry seized eight CDs containing the word "Allah" near Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The High Court later ordered the return of the CDs to Ireland in July 2014 but did not grant her the requested declaration of her right to possess, use, and import published materials containing the word "Allah." The Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's decision on June 23, 2015, dismissing the appeal by the ministry and the Malaysian government.

Source: NST