Can non-Muslims sing the Selangor state anthem?

As the word Allah is part of the lyrics in several state anthems, the Prime Minister is obliged to clarify his position on this matter, says P Ramakrishnan.

His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has called on the non-Muslims in the state of Selangor not to refer to God as Allah. This is the second time that such a call has been made.

This was announced by the Selangor Royal Council Secretary Hanafisah Jais on behalf of the Sultan. It was also explained that it was to avoid causing confusion among Muslims in Selangor.

Without meaning to be disrespectful to His Highness the Sultan of Selangor and with sincere apology if any offence is caused inadvertently, it is necessary to seek clarification on behalf of the non-Muslims who are caught in a bind with regard to this ruling.

The Selangor state anthem has the word Allah in the lyrics:

Duli Yang Maha Mulia
Selamat di atas takhta
Allah lanjutkan usia Tuanku
Rakyat mohon restu
Bawah Duli Tuanku
Bahagia selama-lamanya
Aman dan sentosa
Duli Yang Maha Mulia

In light of the ruling can the non-Muslims sing the state anthem? According to the ruling, the non-Muslims are prohibited from uttering the word Allah.

As the word Allah is also part of the lyrics in several state anthems, the Prime Minister is obliged to clarify his position on this matter. He is also obliged to state his stand on the National Anthem which has the word Tuhan in the lyrics. Can Muslims sing the National Anthem?

By P Ramakrishan, he is the long-serving former president of Aliran, has been granted a respite and now happily serves as an Aliran executive committee member. He has carried the flag for human rights and democracy for Aliran since its inception in 1977, when the term ‘human rights’ was considered something of a dirty word.

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Selangor orders to cease use of the word ‘Allah’ in bible, The Herald

Golden cross and black leather bibleSHAH ALAM: The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, today ordered the use of the word “Allah” in the Bible and Malay version of ‘The Herald’ to be ceased immediately.

He said this was to avoid confusion among Muslims over the use of the word when used by other religions.

As such, he called on the Selangor people to respect and abide by the decision of the Selangor Fatwa Council on the matter.

“The word Allah for Muslims refers to the one and only God as mentioned in Surah Al-Ikhlas (in the Quran),” said the sultan in a media statement issued by Selangor Royal Council secretary Hanafisah Jais here.

The Sultan of Selangor, after a discussion with the Selangor Royal Council last Nov 11, decided that the people in the state, regardless their religion and origin, were to abide by the ban on the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims.

This is provided under Section 9 of the Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment 1988

The sultan advised all quarters to not make the issue on the use of the word ‘Allah” as a political agenda as it involved the Islamic faith.

He also called on Muslims to unite to safeguard the sanctity of Islam and to prevent any quarters from abusing or insulting the word “Allah”.

“Issues on religion should not be looked at lightly because it can bring bad implications to the country’s security and also create tension among the races in the country,” he added.