Imagine the outcry if any Christian group anywhere forbade Christians from leaving Christianity. But no one will take any particular notice of this.
“Court rejects Sarawak trio’s bid to renounce Islam, lawyer vents frustration,” by Sulok Tawie, Malay Mail Online, August 17, 2016:
KUCHING, Aug 17 — The Court of Appeal’s dismissal of an application to renounce Islam by three Bumiputera Muslim converts spells a setback for religious freedom in Sarawak, their lawyer claimed today.
Lawyer Baru Bian had represented Salina Jau Abdullah and two other applicants who had turned to the court for help to return to their original faith, was commenting on the outcome of the case earlier today.
“In all three cases, the appellants were originally non-Muslims who had converted to Islam for marriage and had left the religion after divorcing their spouses,” the Sarawak PKR chairman said.
Baru said they had sworn in their statutory declarations that they are no longer practising Muslims.
Salina and the other two applicants, who did not want their names published, had separately appealed to the appellate court after the High Court had rejected their applications for judicial review of their conversion cases.
The Court of Appeal panel that heard the case in Kuching comprised Datuk Tengku Maimum Tuan Mat, Datuk Dr Badariah Sahamid and Datuk Kamardin Hashim.
The three Sarawakians, in their applications, had asked the High Court to compel the director of the Sarawak Islamic Affairs Department and Islamic Affairs Council to issue letters of release known as surat murtad in Bahasa Malaysia so they could practise their original religion once more.
They also asked the court to compel the director general of the National Registration Department to change their Muslim names to their original names and their religions from Islam to Christian.
Baru, who represented the three appellants, said the main issue before the High Court and the appellate court was whether the Shariah Court or the civil court has jurisdiction in such cases.
“Our argument is that since the applicants are no longer Muslims, as sworn in their statutory declarations, the Shariah Court has no jurisdiction over them.
“Unfortunately, the two courts have ruled that the question of whether the appellants are now ‘murtad’ should be decided by the Shariah Court,” he said….

Georg says
Mandating opinion has a history of working out really well.
J D S says
Yes Robert. This is what separates us from the Islamic CULT No one will kill me if I leave my religion or Church and no one will FORCE me to join it either. Simp’ll r y o understand Isn’t it…..
J D S says
Oops…didn’t proof read…should be simple to underdtand
Crusades Were Right! says
“underdtand”
Third time lucky?
; ¬)
Westman says
You can check in any time you like, but you can never leave the religion of no compulsion. /sarc
Jon Sobieski says
It’s crazy. The idea that your religious affiliation is controlled by the state, and that you can’t change your mind, or that judicial action is separate and distinct for each religion. You have no say once you go islam and change your mind that it wasn’t for you. it’s so ‘normal’ in Malaysia. Join a cult and the govt. enforces the cult.
Dacritic says
Yep it is. Probably the only country in the world that forces the most Satanic cult in the world on 60% of its population (correct me on the “only country” if I’m wrong). Fortunately the 60% are a naturally warm, friendly and apathetic race who generally don’t read much, and therefore is saving the country from Islamic fundamentalism.
Got a friend who migrated to Malaysia from the UK, married a lady of this majority race, thereby converting to Islam, divorced her and now wants to go back to being Christian. Too bad for him he still has ties to this country and is afraid they would take away his PR if he leaves Islam. Could be leaving the country soon though. Good for him.
larry morris says
dumb ass
john spielman says
yup just like the MAFIA
Angemon says
And now they find out they can’t. Which they should have known from the get go if they cared to look into it from the beginning.
Dacritic says
Exactly. “Every religion is the same” right??
Stupid, stupid decision made by probably otherwise smart people. STUPID.
Dacritic says
I understand that some people have a fetish for Asian women. That’s why they coined that derogatory LBFM acronym. This part of the world are full of these so called LBFM’s. Everyone has the right to fulfil their fetish, but when you let the smaller head rule the bigger head and fall oh-so-madly-in-love with a Muslim woman that you think all religions are the same and then convert to marry her…..that’s when it all comes crashing down.
FatherJon says
Imagine living in a country where you have to apply to officially change your religion in the first place.
maghan says
All the work of “Arab Cultural Imperialism”.
Islamorefugee says
This is an example of islamic deception of using half-truths : while converting with various ploys (which the unsuspecting candidates do not look into ,or are in some desperate situation.) under which the muslims say parts of those nice things you normally seek to know.They only show the entry gate and it is never said that there is no exit from that black hole . A typical Arab-islamic tactic of roping up innocent people as they are culturally prone to.
BEWARE OF ISLAM. IT IS A BLACKHOLE. You can walk in and only your dead body can come out. Or, you have to live a life under constant threat of violent death at the hands of ‘pious’ or ‘religous’ muslims who have been tantalized with a Paradise( ‘jannat’ ) for doing the Allah’s job of killing an apostate !!!!!!
Still people call it a ‘religion’ !!!!!!!
grace says
Hmm, I can speak Malay and Indonesian but won’t need them anymore bcoz I am boycotting both countries. I can’t stomache islam and last time I was in Mal it was overrun with arabs looking like they had just walked off Laurence of Arabia set.
Georg says
Hi grace,
It’s not much, but I hope this helps :p
mortimer says
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Therighttokeeporchangeonesbeliefs.aspx
“The right of conversion and the right not to be forced to convert or reconvert belong to the internal dimension of a person’s religious or belief-related conviction, which is unconditionally protected under international human rights law,” the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt told the UN General Assembly while presenting his report.
Bielefeldt also highlights that many States impose legal or administrative restrictions on religious outreach activities of those who try to convert others by means of non-coercive persuasion, which, he stresses, forms an inextricable part of freedom of religion or belief. Missionary communities may also face social prejudice that can lead to mob violence and killings, he adds.
“Many such restrictions are conceptualized and implemented in a flagrantly discriminatory manner, for instance, in the interest of further strengthening the position of the official or dominant religion of the country while further marginalizing the situation of minorities,” he says.
In his report, Bielefeld urges States to consistently respect, protect and promote the right to freedom of religion or belief in the area of conversion, and for these purposes makes a series of recommendations to be reflected in domestic legal provisions, State administrations and public institutions, as well as in the conduct of non-State actors.
Hi Moe says
What’s the big deal? Many organizations don’t allow one to leave once they’re part of it; for example, Cosa Nostra.
Here’s another heart-warming story regarding another virtuous and moderate islamic state:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2016/Aug-11/366678-indonesia-says-no-room-for-gay-community.ashx?utm_source=Magnet&utm_medium=Related%20Articles%20widget&utm_campaign=Magnet%20tools
grace says
In Mal, you may not leave islam. And as a moslem, you are subject to sharia law.
Purplewine says
If their documents state religion this makes it all the more easy and comfortable for us to enforce a muslim ban, thank you muslims.
marina says
If the sharia court is in action then these three may have to be stuck with the death cult for the rest of their lives.
Dacritic says
The most heartbreaking news you’d get is when you hear of a Christian converting to Islam for marriage. I don’t just blame Islam. I blame also the church and the parents of the convert for not being serious enough to differentiate between Christianity and the lies of Islam and teaching their children this to prevent any stupid conversions. Obviously though, the biggest blame lies with the converts themselves for not finding things out.
And then now they want to back out of that hell hole. Pray, people. Pray.