Malaysia: Court rules plaintiff cannot renounce Islam and revert to Christianity

[WorthyNewsBot]

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A plaintiff in Malaysia who converted to Islam to marry a Muslim woman has been told by a civil high court that he cannot now renounce his Islamic identity and return to his original identity as a Christian, Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reports.

Malaysia ranks 43rd on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

The 45-year-old plaintiff in question married a Muslim woman in 2010, but the couple divorced in 2015, FMT reports. The plaintiff then filed an application in the Shariah court asking to be able to renounce Islam and be free, but his application was dismissed and he was ordered to attend “counseling sessions” instead.

The man then appealed to the civil courts, with the case eventually reaching the high court, FMT reports. In his ruling on October 4, Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said civil courts cannot review decisions made by the Shariah courts. “The civil court clearly has no power to review a shariah court’s decision, let alone reverse, depart from or re-litigate (it),” the justice said.

In a website report about the situation facing Christians in Malaysia, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization explains: “Every ethnic Malay is expected to be Muslim, and Shariah law, which is implemented in certain states of the country, says that to leave Islam is punishable by death, although this has never been enforced.”

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[just_abc]

um....  I think there is a mistake in this worthy news article....  @WorthyNewsBot  @George

 

13 hours ago, WorthyNewsBot said:

Ruled by an Islamic dictatorship, 

Malaysia is not an 'islamic dictatorship'.  It has a parliamentary system of government.  There has been several changes in government leadership of the country in recent years.  It currently has a 'unity government' after the last election in 2022 resulted in a hung parliament.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/01/12/should-malaysia-change-its-electoral-system-to-avoid-a-future-hung-parliament-heres-what-analysts-say/48509

 

13 hours ago, WorthyNewsBot said:

, says that to leave Islam is punishable by death, although this has never been enforced.”

It has never been enforced because (at present) it cannot be enforced / implemented. 

If I am not mistaken currently in Malaysia  only two states (ruled by a religion based political party) may have passed laws regarding death penalty for leaving islam.  However such laws cannot be implemented (at present) because the Federal Constitution / legislation etc of the country does not enable states to do so.  So unless the Federal Constutition of the country is ammended.. and/or possibly certain federal legislation etc is ammended..  those states cannot enforce such a death penalty..

Just a small fyi.  Thanks.  

Edited October 10, 2023 by just_abc

[other one]

5 hours ago, just_abc said:

um....  I think there is a mistake in this worthy news article....  @WorthyNewsBot  @George

 

Malaysia is not an 'islamic dictatorship'.  It has a parliamentary system of government.  There has been several changes in government leadership of the country in recent years.  It currently has a 'unity government' after the last election in 2022 resulted in a hung parliament.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/01/12/should-malaysia-change-its-electoral-system-to-avoid-a-future-hung-parliament-heres-what-analysts-say/48509

 

It has never been enforced because (at present) it cannot be enforced / implemented. 

If I am not mistaken currently in Malaysia  only two states (ruled by a religion based political party) may have passed laws regarding death penalty for leaving islam.  However such laws cannot be implemented (at present) because the Federal Constitution / legislation etc of the country does not enable states to do so.  So unless the Federal Constutition of the country is ammended.. and/or possibly certain federal legislation etc is ammended..  those states cannot enforce such a death penalty..

Just a small fyi.  Thanks.  

They don't have to enforce it, they just have to not prosecute those who do.

[George]

Edited to reflect that an Islamic dictatorship does not rule Malaysia.  Thanks for correcting us!  We want to be entirely accurate in all that we report.