KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today the High Court ruling that quashed a government ban on the use of "Allah” in Christian publications was limited to Sarawak alone.

According to national news agency Bernama, Anwar insisted his government’s decision to withdraw its appeal against the ruling would not affect all of Malaysia.

"This is specifically in the case of Sarawak... it is not applicable to Melaka or Penang or Selangor ... this must be understood,” he was quoted as saying today.

Coincidentally, Penang and Selangor were among six states due to hold elections this year, after choosing not to dissolve their legislative assemblies along with Parliament for the 15th general election last November.

Yesterday, Anwar’s government confirmed withdrawing the appeal against the 2021 High Court ruling in favour of the Sarawakian native, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill.

The move put an end to the 15-year-long legal saga that began when the government seized the Sarawak Bumiputera’s eight educational compact discs (CDs) containing the word "Allah”, the Arabic word for God, which were for her own use.

However, the decision has upset Malay and Muslim groups, and forced parties such as Umno in the national unity government to perform damage control.

Earlier today, Umno information chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said sought to affirm her party’s commitment to uphold Islam, saying she and her party colleagues would raise the matter in the Cabinet.

Azalina, the minister for law and institutional reforms, said more "in-depth research” must be conducted in a manner fair to all parties, and the matter must be handled with care since it involved religious sensitivities.