Malaysia has a two-tier legal system, one for Muslims and one for non-Muslims. For example:
Federal legislation prohibits and criminalizes non-Muslims for preaching or converting Muslims into their religion, even though the reverse is allowed. Muslims that seek to renounce Islam face legal obstacles, societal push-back, and harsh penalties.
The 26-year-old Malaysian woman does not want to be deemed an apostate, for obvious reasons: death is the penalty for apostasy in Islam. So her case in court argues that she never converted in the first place.
The case highlights, yet again, the grim reality for minorities who live in Islamic countries governed by the Sharia.
“Woman who embraced Islam for boyfriend now seeking return to Christianity to know if High Court will hear her case on Sept 21,” by R. Loheswar, Malay Mail, July 26, 2023:
KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — The High Court will decide on September 21 whether or not to hear the judicial review filed by a Malaysian woman seeking to be declared no longer a Muslim.
The 26-year-old woman converted to Islam to marry her then boyfriend who was a Malay Muslim on August 18, 2017. Their relationship ended before the wedding and now she wants to return to being a Christian.
Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid set the decision date on whether or not to grant the woman leave for judicial review after hearing arguments from her lawyer and the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) representing the government and the Islamic authorities earlier today.
The woman who is the plaintiff is not named to protect her privacy. She is seeking declarations that the Shariah Courts do not have the jurisdiction under the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act 1993, also known as Act 505, to cancel her status as a Muslim but rather the Registrar of Muallaf (ROM) who oversees Muslim converts.
The three respondents named in the judicial review application are: the Federal Territories ROM, the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) and the government of Malaysia.
Her back story
The woman had requested to leave Islam on January 27, 2022 admitting to still being a practising Christian despite converting to Islam.
She said she only became a Muslim for administrative reasons as she wanted to marry her then Muslim boyfriend.
She said she doesn’t read the Quran and is a believer in the concept of the Holy Trinity and the Bible since she was baptised at age one by her Christian parents.
She sent three letters to the ROM dated January 31, February 20 and March 17 this year to the ROM asking to leave Islam, but claimed to have received no replies to any of them except an acknowledgment of receipt….
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Pretty stupid woman, who dated a muslim in the first place, & then went on to convert to islam! She should flee to Singapore and apostatize there
somehistory says
I agree. She should never have dated a mozlum, never agreed to marry a mozlum, and certainly never agreed to become a mozlum….even in ‘name’ only.
A person who has a True Christian Faith, would never do such a thing. She evidently is weak in Faith and now must pay a heavy price….because it looks as if they aren’t going to grant her wish.
She needs a place to go where they will allow her to speak the Truth of what she believes and not murder her. If Singapore allows that, then she should go asap.
Keith O says
At least if she stays a mudslime on paper this will lessen the chances of her being harassed by mudslimes for being a Christian.
She can float along under the radar.
Mike 2 says
Such a pity Islam was forced on the Malays. They are such nice people; it does not suit them.
Andrew B. says
She will not be allowed to leave islam as that is The Law of Malaysia and an apostate can be sent to prison for two years for leaving islam and all the muslims in that prison will know why that person is in that Prison.
So if they allow her then they are stating that the Law must be changed and I cant see that happening anytime in the future of that country as this will set a new precedence and that will not fly in a country that is ruled by muslims and only a muslim can be Prime Minister.
She would be best to say nothing and go about her life as a Christian and hope no muslim knows who she is… now they ALL know who she is.
abu taleb says
She should be grateful to Islam that she is not punished to death for her apostasy because Islam is a religion of peace an a bless to mankind (sarc)
Sindhi says
abu taleb please stop lying. There is death penalty for leaving Islam in about 20 Islamic countries: Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen etc. On the contrary, there is total freedom of religion in EVERY non-Muslim country to leave the religion or converting to any other religion – there is no penalty of any kind for leaving Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism.