Herald Malaysia

Last updated

Herald Malaysia
TypeWeekly newspaper
Format Compact
Owner(s)The Titual Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Peninsular Malaysia
EditorFather Lawrence Andrew, SJ
Founded8 September 1994
HeadquartersArchdiocesan Pastoral Centre, 5 Robertson Road, 50150 Kuala Lumpur
Circulation 15,600
Website Official website

Herald Malaysia is a multilingual Malaysian Catholic weekly newspaper. It publishes in English with additional language sections inside in Chinese, Tamil and Malaysian languages.

Contents

Circulation

It has a circulation of 15,600 copies in Malaysia. [1] It is printed in English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese, and meant for distribution to Malaysian Catholics. [2]

Newspaper sections

Montage of the Herald, which is published in English with sections in Chinese, Tamil and Malaysian language. Herald catholic weekly.jpg
Montage of the Herald, which is published in English with sections in Chinese, Tamil and Malaysian language.

Government threats and censorship

The Herald newspaper nearly lost its publishing licence for using the word "Allah" as a translation for "God," with authorities saying it should only be used by Muslims. The weekly was warned not to print "Allah" in the future, but instead it mounted an ongoing legal challenge to revoke the ban on the word, which is also used in the Malay-language Bible. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Allah</i> Arabic word for God

Allah is the Arabic word for God, particularly the God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with Islam, but the term was used in pre-Islamic Arabia and continues to be used today by Arabic-speaking adherents of any of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism and Christianity. It is thought to be derived by contraction from al-ilāh and is linguistically related to God's names in other Semitic languages, such as Aramaic and Hebrew.

Manglish is an informal form of Malaysian English with features of an English-based creole principally used in Malaysia. It is heavily influenced by the main languages of the country, Malay, Tamil, and varieties of Chinese. It is not one of the official languages spoken in Malaysia.

While freedom of religion is de jure symbolically enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution, it de facto faces many prohibitions and restrictions. A Malay in Malaysia must strictly be a Muslim, and they cannot convert to another religion. Islamic religious practices are determined by official Sharia law, and Muslims can be fined by the state for not fasting or refusing to pray. The country does not consider itself a secular state and that Islam is the state religion of the country, and individuals with no religious affiliation are viewed with hostility.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in Malaysia</span> Ethnic group

Christianity is a minority religion in Malaysia. In the 2020 census, 9.1% of the Malaysian population identified themselves as Christians. About two-thirds of Malaysia's Christian population lives in East Malaysia, in the states of Sabah and Sarawak. Adherents of Christianity represent a majority (50.1%) of the population in Sarawak, which is Malaysia's largest state by land area. Christianity is one of four major religions, including Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, that have a freedom protected by the law in Malaysia based on diversity law especially in East Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian Malay</span> Official language of Malaysia

Malaysian Malay or Malaysian —endonymically within Malaysia as Standard Malay or simply Malay — is a standardized form of the Malay language used in Malaysia and also used in Brunei and Singapore. Malaysian Malay is standardized from the Johore-Riau dialect of Malay, particularly a branch spoken in the state of Johore south of the Malay Peninsula. It is spoken by much of the Malaysian population, although most learn a vernacular form of Malay or another native language first. Malay is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Malaysia</span>

The Culture of Malaysia draws on the varied cultures of the different people of Malaysia. The first people to live in the area were indigenous tribes that still remain; they were followed by the Malays, who moved there from mainland Asia in ancient times. Chinese and Indian cultural influences made their mark when trade began with those countries, and increased with immigration to Malaysia. Other cultures that heavily influenced that of Malaysia include Persian, Arabic and British. The many different ethnicities that currently exist in Malaysia have their own unique and distinctive cultural identities, with some crossover.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in Brunei</span>

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Censorship is a long term issue in Malaysia which has become more apparent as it attempts to adapt to a modern knowledge-based economy. Despite having in its Federal Constitution that subject to certain conditions, "every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression", Malaysia has consistently sat low on global indexes related to press and media freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Malaysia</span>

Islam is the state religion of Malaysia, as per Article 3 of the Constitution. Meanwhile, other religions can be practised by non-Malay citizens of the country. In addition, per Article 160, one must be Muslim to be considered Malay. As of the 2020 Population and Housing Census, 63.5 percent of the population practices Islam; 18.7 percent Buddhism; 9.1 percent Christianity; 6.1 percent Hinduism; and 2.7 percent other religion or gave no information. The remainder is accounted for by other faiths, including Animism, Folk religion, Sikhism, Baháʼí Faith and other belief systems. The states of Sarawak and Penang and the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur have non-Muslim majorities. Numbers of self-described atheists in Malaysia are few as renouncing Islam is prohibited for Muslims in Malaysia. As such, the actual number of atheists or converts in the country is hard to ascertain out of fear from being ostracised or prosecution. The state has come under criticism from human rights organisations for the government's discrimination against atheists, with some cabinet members saying that "the freedom of religion is not the freedom from religion".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Malaysia</span>

The indigenous languages of Malaysia belong to the Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian families. The national, or official, language is Malay which is the mother tongue of the majority Malay ethnic group. The main ethnic groups within Malaysia are the Malays, Chinese and Tamils, with many other ethnic groups represented in smaller numbers, each with its own languages. The largest native languages spoken in East Malaysia are the Iban, Dusunic, and Kadazan languages. English is widely understood and spoken within the urban areas of the country; the English language is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary education. It is also the main medium of instruction within most private colleges and private universities. English may take precedence over Malay in certain official contexts as provided for by the National Language Act, especially in the states of Sabah and Sarawak, where it may be the official working language. Furthermore, the law of Malaysia is commonly taught and read in English, as the unwritten laws of Malaysia continue to be partially derived from pre-1957 English common law, which is a legacy of past British colonisation of the constituents forming Malaysia. In addition, authoritative versions of constitutional law and statutory law are continuously available in both Malay and English.

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Malaysia curbs blasphemy and any insult to religion or to the religious by rigorous control of what people in that country can say or do. Government-funded schools teach young Muslims the principles of Sunni Islam, and instruct young non-Muslims on morals. The government informs the citizenry on proper behavior and attitudes, and ensures that Muslim civil servants take courses in Sunni Islam. The government ensures that the broadcasting and publishing media do not create disharmony or disobedience. If someone blasphemes or otherwise engages in deviant behavior, Malaysia punishes such transgression with Sharia or through legislation such as the Penal Code.

Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur v. Menteri Dalam Negeri was a 2009 legal decision by the High Court of Malaya holding that Christians do not have the constitutional right to use the word "Allah" in church newspapers. An appeals court overturned a previous ruling which granted that right. This verdict on appeal was later upheld by the Federal Court of Malaysia in 2014. However, the ruling was not followed by the High Court in another case in 2021. The government lodged an appeal, but later withdrew it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibrahim Ali (politician)</span> Malaysian politician

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References

  1. "Catholic Church may sue over ministry 'lie'". Malaysia Today. 11 January 2009. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
  2. "Catholic newsletter warned to stay off politics". TheStar. 13 August 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
  3. "Catholic paper faces new challenge from Malaysian authorities". AFP. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2008.