I've been reading so much in the news about the dispute of the sacred word "Allah". Many are preaching that this is a word that belongs to the Muslim community and that it is not right for any other religious group to use it openly. If they want to refer to the "big man", they will need to use words like "Tuhan" or just plain "God".
Then we have the Christian's who are claiming that they have been referring to the "big man" as Allah for centuries and that they have never used the term "Tuhan" before as that word - "Tuhan" is a Malay word and not a Arabic word used to refer to "God"!
I'm neutral when it comes to this because, in Malaysia, I would like to think that as Malaysian's, we live as Malaysian's embracing the Muslim, Hindu and Chinese culture and practise. I don't label myself as a Hindu but rather as a Malaysian. I have no issues praying in a Chinese temple or a Mosque. I have no problems visiting these places of worship either. In fact, when we as Malaysian's attend a religious function - like a marriage or a death, ever wonder why we pay our respects according to the religion of the married couple or the deceased individual. You don't see an Indian going to a Muslim marriage and lighting up a set of joss stick and reciting a Hindu prayer right?
Anyways, I came across something interesting that I would like to share with the world - at least my world. This is something that every student in Johor had to sing in school regardless of race, religion and age. Check it out - it means, every Muslim, Hindu and Chinese HAD to sing this because it is the Johor State Anthem:
Allah peliharakan Sultan
'Nugrahkan dia segala kehormatan
Sihat dan ria, kekal dan makmur
Luaskan kuasa, menaungkan kami
Rakyat dipimpini berzaman lagi
Dengan Merdeka bersatu hati
Allah berkati Johor
Allah selamatkan Sultan
Go figure!
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