KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Court is expected to hear an application for leave to appeal a Court of Appeal verdict barring Catholic weekly Herald from using the word "Allah" in its Bahasa Malaysia edition.
A panel of seven judges will hear the application today by the Catholic Church against the Court of Appeal decision made on Oct 14 last year.
Among the judges on the panel are Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria, Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif, Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin and Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum.
In early 2009, the Roman Catholic church filed a judicial review application against the Home Ministry and the government. It sought, a declaration that the Ministry's decision to prohibit the publication from using the "Allah" was illegal.
On Dec 31, 2009, High Court judge Datuk Lau Bee Lan ruled that it was constitutional for the Herald to use the word "Allah" in its articles and allowed its application to quash the Home Minister decision.
On 2013, a three-man Court of Appeal bench, reversed the ruling.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the use of "Allah" was not an integral part of the faith and practice of Christianity. NST
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