Hymnals with ‘Allah’ not for sale, says priest under probe

Father Cyril Mannayagam today denied allegations that he was trying to sell the seized hymn books. – Photo courtesy of Johor-Malacca Diocese website, December 15, 2014.Father Cyril Mannayagam, the Catholic priest in the middle of the latest "Allah" controversy, today denied that he was attempting to sell the 31 hymnal books police seized from him recently.

He said he would not have had to photocopy the books titled "Kepujian Kepada Tuhan Allah" and paid more than RM140 for them if he was going to sell them at the shop.

"Why would I 'photostat' the books then? Besides they would have had to pay me instead of me paying them if I were selling the books," he told The Malaysian Insider.

"This is ridiculous," he said of the police's claims that he was trying to sell the books.

Johor deputy CID chief Assistant Commissioner Dennis Lim had said police received a tip-off that the hymn books were being sold in a bookshop in Tangkak on December 5.

Father Cyril was detained for questioning, when he went back to the shop to collect the books, which he had sent for photocopying earlier that day.

Father Cyril, who has worked with the Orang Asli for more than four years, had said that the books were meant for a Christmas service for some 100 Orang Asli parishioners, who were all Catholics.

He said today that the hymnal book was prepared by the indigenous community and had been in use for their worship services for many years.

The priest was later released after questioning but police are still holding the 31 books and investigating him under Section 298A of the Penal Code, for causing disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will on grounds of religion.

Lim had also denied that police never detained Father Cyril but only questioned him and recorded his statement before allowing him to leave.

However, the 44-year-old priest said what he went through was detention, as the police had seized the identity cards of both him and a fellow parishioner, who was with him at that time.

"And they made us follow them to the police station, which is situated opposite the shop.

"We were put in a room and were not allowed to leave until my lawyer came," he said.

He expressed dismay at the seizure of the hymn books and said he would consider suing the police, saying the freedom to worship as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, was not being adhered to.

Police have said that the Attorney-General's Chambers will be deciding whether the books should be returned to Father Cyril.

- TMI