The Malaysian Court of Appeals is set to hear the case of a Christian seeking to uphold her right to use the word "Allah" in published material.
The lawsuit pertains to the use of "Allah" in the titles of eight spiritual CDs owned by Jill Ireland, a Christian clerk working in Sarawak.
According to the World Watch Monitor, the government seized the CDs from Ms Ireland's baggage when she arrived on the airport in Kuala Lumpur from Indonesia in 2008.
Ms Ireland then pursued a case at Kuala Lumpur High Court seeking a judicial review of her right to use Allah in the CDs. In July 2014, the High Court ruled that the CDs should be returned to her possession but did not address Ms Ireland's constitutional right to use "Allah" in the titles of the CDs.
Ms Ireland then filed an appeal to have clarification on the issue.
The Malaysian government also appealed the High Court's ruling, stating that the Home Ministry had acted under its capacity under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 to seize material believed prejudicial to public order.
The Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 gives the Home Minister powers to regulate published material produced in Malaysia as well as those brought into the country.
The Islamic Religious Council of the Federal Territories also attempted to intervene in the case by filing a motion with the Court of Appeals immediately after the ruling. According to the Malaysian Insider, the Council felt it had the "right to regulate all matters relating to Islam including the use of the word Allah ... (and) how non-Muslims pray and the materials they use, including audio and texts."
Ms Ireland contested the Council's claim, stating that it had no jurisdiction over her as a Kuala Lumpur resident.
World Watch Monitor said that the Court of Appeals dismissed the MAIWP's motion on March 5.
The Malaysian Court of Appeals will hear Ms Ireland's case on April 23.
