Strong reactions in Malaysia to Lina Joy verdict

The Straits Times, June 1, 2007
By Hazlin Hassan, Malaysia Correspondent


Postings online filled with expletives and offensive remarks

IN KOTA BARU (KELANTAN) - MALAYSIAN websites went into overdrive yesterday, with red-hot postings in reaction to a Federal court's verdict that a Christian convert could not delete the word 'Islam' from her identity card.

Emotions surrounding the Lina Joy case spilled onto the country's websites after the court delivered its 'No' verdict to a packed courtroom on Wednesday.

Most of the online postings were peppered with expletives and remarks offensive to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Among the milder remarks was this one on blogger Jeff Ooi's website, from a blogger calling himself nukethem: 'Anyone who expects religious tolerance in this country is really dreaming.'

Another poster hailed the judgement as 'a wonderful decision...the voice of majority is upheld'. In response, some described it as 'wonderfully scary'.

The Malay woman at the centre of the storm is Ms Lina, 43, who was born Azlina Jailani but converted to Christianity in 1998.

She then waged a six-year battle in the civil courts to have her conversion recognised. But in its ruling on Wednesday, the three-judge court in Putrajaya ruled by a 2-1 majority that she would have to get the Syariah Court, which rules on all Muslim matters in the country, to confirm she had renounced Islam first.

That could prove difficult as the Syariah Court is reluctant to allow it, and some states have criminalised apostasy.

In general, Muslims welcomed the verdict, saying they were relieved that Ms Joy lost her case. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz told The Straits Times: 'While there is freedom of religion, we have to respect the rules of each religion, and follow their procedures.'

Opposition PAS Deputy President Nasharuddin Mat Isa said: 'Islam, as the country's official religion, puts a certain status on Syariah courts. Yesterday's decision has recognised this.'

While the debate on the wisdom of the court decision has been heated, Mr Premesh Chandran, the chief executive officer of online news portal Malaysiakini - which linked its readers to to a few websites discussing the verdict - told The Straits Times yesterday that it was unlikely to spark any 'untoward incidents'.

As he put it: 'I don't think it will trigger any sort of anger on the ground...people are just expressing their opinions.'

Responding to reporters' queries yesterday as to whether the verdict was a 'political' decision, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said in exasperation: 'They must have a hole in their head... I have never hoped or coerced the judiciary into making a political decision.'

Speaking after chairing an Umno Supreme Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur, he added: 'If we allow ourselves to be influenced by our emotions, we will think of all sorts of things, be suspicious of this and that. Why be like that?'

Ms Lina, meanwhile, is understood to be overseas, and is thinking of leaving Malaysia for good.

The verdict also has an impact on her relationship with her Christian partner.

She cannot legally marry him here because Malaysian law requires non-Muslims to convert to wed a Muslim.

Wednesday's verdict came amid fears of a widening religious divide in the country and against the backdrop of ongoing court battles in which religious authorities in some states have separated Muslims from their non-Muslim spouses for religious rehabilitation.

Some observers have also said that the verdict was a way of wooing the multi-racial country's Muslim majority.