Lina Joy Issue

After much anticipation, the judgement on the Lina Joy's conversion from Islam to Christianity had finally been passed down by the Court of Appeal. Two of the presiding judges ruled in favour of the National Registration Department's decision to retain Lina's religious status in her IC while the dissenting judge, Richard Malanjun, argued that the NRD had been erred in disallowing Lina to change her religious status. Comments after comments had been posted on print and online newspapers, not to mention on internal blogs all over the world. I, for one, had expected that such a decision would finally be made, looking at the complex and intertwining nature of the Shariah and common laws in the Federal Constitution. As a Christian, I did not take heart when the decision was made. The judges had done their best to deliver a fair and balanced judgement in such a sensitive and much publicised issue. I see this issue as pure technical in nature. The problem lies solely on how one interprets the Constitution by looking at the political and social reality in Malaysia. The Federal Constitution itself had been drafted based on the "social contract" achieved between the various ethnic groups in Malaysia. The Federal Constitution is clear about this matter and I am in no position to comment. But since the issue of freedom and human rights have been brought into the picture, the government must carefully re-examine Lina Joy's and that of others' arguments that their freedom to believe have been abused or rather not respected. I hope the approriate authorities and responsbile NGOs would not stop from here and would continue recommending rational and practical solutions on the issue of freedom of religion in Malaysia. In the meantime, I urge all Christian in Malaysia not to be emotional and continue to pray for Lina Joy and others who have faced such a difficulty.