Malaysian port and customs authorities have seized at least 15,000 Bibles in recent months because the word "Allah" for God appears in them. About 10,000 of the Malay-language Bibles, which were printed in Indonesia, are in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak in eastern Malaysia, and another 5,000 copies are in Kelang near Kuala Lumpur.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) on 04.11.09 called for the immediate release of the confiscated Bibles. At the same time, CFM's Executive Secretary General, Tan Kong Beng, stated that the federation is striving for friendly relations with the government. "We are open and willing to have further discussions with the officials so that this issue can be resolved," he said. In 2005, the Malaysian government decided that it is permissible to use "Allah" in non-Muslim literature, according to CFM, citing a written agreement from December of that year that Malaysian Bibles can be distributed as long as the symbol of a cross and the words "A Christian Publication" are printed on the cover. (Compass Direct/Danish European Mission)
