KOTA KINABALU, May 20 — Christians from both Sabah and Sarawak reserve the right to use the word ‘Allah’ for their publication of religious materials and during their prayers, said Datuk Ewon Benedick.

The entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister said this following a Cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said during the meeting, Cabinet members, including himself, had voiced their opinions on the issue and eventually agreed on the status quo.

"Christians in Sabah and Sarawak, or from the two states, may use the word ‘Allah’ during their prayers.

"They may also use the word in their publications of religious materials but the materials have to be stamped with a ‘For Christians Only’ seal,” he said when distributing aid to schools around his constituency here yesterday.

Ewon explained that the decision to restore the status quo was made while considering Islam as the country’s official religion but also to allow other religions to be practised in peace and harmony.

Recently, Anwar had said that the use of the word ‘Allah’ by Christians for the publication of religious materials is only limited to Sarawak.

The move had sparked debate and criticism among Sabahans, as the word has been used by Christians in the state for centuries. — Borneo Post Online