Penang government building in lockdown as protesters hurl abuse over ‘Allah’

Penang Perkasa members protesting against the usage of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims at Komtar in George Town today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, December 19, 2014.

The Penang state administrative centre at Komtar in George Town was in a lockdown for two hours this afternoon as a boisterous group of right-wing Malay supporters held a protest at its main entrance against the use of the word "Allah".

Entrances on all sides were closed off and heavy police presence prevented the protesters led by Penang Perkasa youth chief Mohd Rizuad Mohd Azudin from entering the government office with a memorandum and some banners.

This led to the group of 50-odd protesters shouting slogans to become more vocal as police barred them from ascending the main stairway near the Maybank outlet.

Rizuad criticised state executive councillor for religious affairs, Datuk Abdul Malik Kassim, to whom he wanted to deliver the memorandum, for standing by chief minister Lim Guan Eng's assertion that non-Muslims in Penang were not prohibited from using the word "Allah".

"Malik is clever at provoking but scared to face the Malays of Penang," he said, calling Malik a "pondan" (effeminate).

He added that Malik was not qualified to hold the portfolio.

Turning to reporters, Rizuad called on the inspector-general of police to take action and arrest Lim.

Rizuad said "Allah" is only for use by Muslims.

He added that Lim was a wild boar ("babi hutan") and not a "pure pig", and should be removed from Penang. This led the other protesters to cheer him on.

Lim had told a press conference at his office in George Town on December 12 that the Penang State Islamic Religious Administration Enactment 2004, which had a fatwa appended on the matter in 2010, does not apply to non-Muslims.

"Non-Muslims are not subjected to Islamic law,” Lim said when asked to respond to a call by MCA Religious Harmony Bureau Chairman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker for Penang to rescind the prohibition.

Lim has since received support from PKR leaders, including de facto head Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Malik, who is from PKR, also said that Lim's comment about fatwas being applicable only to Muslims was "a statement of fact."

The protesters earlier in the morning lodged several police reports against Lim at the George Town police headquarters.

They then gathered for noon prayers at the Kampung Rawa mosque in Jalan Patani before making their way to Komtar.

They began dispersing at 3.05pm after some of speeches and a prayer recited through a hailer by former Penang PAS youth chief Hafiz Nordin who also called Lim a "babi hutan".

The entrances to Komtar were opened shortly after they left.

- TMI