KUALA LAMPUR, Malaysia — A government-ordered ban against ownership of Bibles in the Iban language of Malaysia was lifted after only six days. Christians of the Sarawak tribe expressed concern April 17 when they discovered that Bibles in their native language, known as the Bub Kudus, appeared on a list of 35 books the Malaysian government banned as “detrimental to public peace,” reported CNSNews.com.
However, acting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced the end of the ban April 23 after he met with Malaysian Christian leaders. According to Badawi, the Bibles had been banned because government officials had misunderstood the Iban translation for the name of God.
During their meetings with Badawi, Christian leaders explained the error and resolved the issue.
They later praised the government for lifting the ban and its “willingness to accommodate others’ religious needs.”
According to the World Evangelical Alliance, the Sarawak tribe lives in the northern region of Borneo and is the largest of tribes native to Malaysia. The Iban-language Bible was first released in 1988.
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