APRIL 29 ― The National Registration Department (NRD) has no business interfering with a Malaysian citizen’s religious beliefs.

The federal department ― which is in charge of keeping official records of things like one’s name, address and, for some strange reason, religious affiliation ― filed an appeal against the Kuching High Court decision that allowed a Sarawakian Muslim convert to embrace Christianity.

Last month, the court ordered the NRD to issue 41-year-old Roneey Anak Rebit, who converted to Islam at eight when his Christian parents became Muslims, a new MyKad with the Muslim classification removed and with his name at birth reinstated. The identity cards of Muslims in Malaysia are stamped with the word “Islam”, while the religious status of non-Muslims is not made visible on the card.

However, the NRD appealed the High Court ruling, insisting that Roneey first get an order from the Shariah Court. Funnily enough, NRD was the only one who appealed while the other two defendants ― the Sarawak Islamic Religious Department and the Sarawak Islamic Council ― did not object to issuing Roneey a letter to release him from Islam.

The NRD’s job is just to maintain official records. What right do they have to require people to go to the Shariah Court before they can change their religious status?

It’s bad enough that our private religious beliefs are part of public record in Malaysia.

There is no reason why the government would need to keep track of Malaysians’ religious affiliations. It’s an invasion of privacy.

Imposing such a burdensome requirement on citizens is a violation of one’s right to freedom of religion. And religious freedom includes the right to leave a faith for another, or to renounce religion altogether.

Lawyers have noted that although there is no legal requirement to get a Shariah Court order to officially change one’s religious status, it has become a de facto rule. The rule was, unfortunately, affirmed by the Federal Court in the Lina Joy case, which said the NRD had the right to insist on an order from the Muslim courts before removing the “Islam” classification from her identity card.

Be that as it may, it’s not the NRD’s job to dictate what people should believe in. It’s none of a court’s business either. It’s up to the individual.

People have the right to believe in whatever god they want to, and to, just as easily, change their beliefs. They don’t have to justify themselves to the government, to the court, or to anyone else about their religious beliefs. Religion is a private affair.

If a person wants to change their name, gender, or religion, the NRD should oblige without question.

Religion is all about faith. How can the government force someone to legally remain in a religion that she no longer has faith in?

What makes things worse is that Roneey did not choose to be Muslim; he had to follow the religion of his parents as a minor. And now, he has made the conscious decision to become a Christian.

The Sarawak Islamic authorities could accept it so why can’t the NRD?

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.