The Straits Times, January 7, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein raised eyebrows yesterday when he said he would allow a demonstration by Muslims after Friday prayers at a mosque in the city centre.
He said the planned peaceful protest by Muslim groups could proceed and police will take action only if 'things get out of hand', according to the Malaysian Insider news website.
Several Muslim non-governmental organisations have said they plan to hold demonstrations in several mosques around the country tomorrow to protest against a court ruling allowing the Catholic Church's Herald newspaper to use the word 'Allah'.
The High Court yesterday granted a stay of execution on the matter pending a government appeal against the ruling.
Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday called on the public to remain calm and allow the legal process to take its course.
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin said the demonstration at the the Kampung Baru mosque would allow Muslims to vent their frustration. 'There is a balance that needs to be addressed. We (the Home Ministry) have faced this situation before. Right now, if you do not allow the protest, it will cause a lot of emotional reaction.
'But if you also allow it, it might turn into a security threat,' he told reporters.
He said the key issue was the safety of the country and that the groups had been advised against the protest.
'Everyone's been appealing to them. No one, from the government to the opposition, wants this whole thing to get out of hand.
'As long as it does not affect national security, we will not stop it yet. We plan to get closer to the would-be demonstrators and try to talk to them first,' he was quoted by Malaysian Insider as saying.
The comments are sure to anger opposition ranks as the government frowns on demonstrations by the opposition parties and NGOs, and police have often intervened to stop these.
In the group on social networking site Facebook that is campaigning against the use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims, four demonstrations are being planned for tomorrow - one each in big mosques in Kuala Lumpur and the capitals of Selangor, Terengganu and Kedah states. The organisers are hitherto-unknown Muslim NGOs.
The mosque in Kampung Baru was listed as a venue, and it is unclear if police would allow demonstrations at the other mosques.
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