KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia's government has reversed its decision to stamp a seized shipment of Malay-language Bibles with serial numbers and government seals, softening its stance after Christians slammed the move as desecrating their holy book.

A dispute over the distribution of Malay-language Bibles containing the word "Allah" as a translation for God has caused authorities to hold 35,000 Indonesian-made Bibles at two Malaysian ports since 2009. The government in this Muslim-majority country bans the use of "Allah" in non-Islamic texts, saying it could confuse Muslims or even be used to convert them.