Sultan Sharafuddin, who is also chairman of the council, said the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims was a sensitive issue among Muslims in Malaysia, and that included the use of the word by some Christians in Sabah and Sarawak.

The matter should be reviewed and thoroughly examined before a final decision could be made over the matter with full wisdom and responsibility.

“All the decisions reached by the council regarding the issue will be brought up to the Conference of Rulers at its next meeting, and with that a policy regarding the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims in the country will be finalised,” he said.

The council held its 70th meeting at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah mosque here today. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was present as the council’s deputy chairman.

Sultan Sharafuddin expressed regret over the spread of rumours that more than 200 tahfiz schools in Selangor had been ordered to close.

“Indeed, this kind of slander is very irresponsible and I regret it because it has indirectly troubled parents and can erode public trust in religious institutions and religious authorities, especially in the state of Selangor,” he said.

He called on those spreading the news to immediately stop doing so. He urged the police to immediately track down this group of individuals and take action against them.

The Sultan of Selangor also ordered unregistered private religious and tahfiz schools to be properly registered so that these schools had a secure and comfortable learning environment for students.