Refused the Right to Convert

In 1998, Azlina Jailani became a Christian and adopted the name Lina Joy. She then began a process to have her religious status changed from Muslim to Christian on her identity card; a process which has now taken six years.

According to Compass Direct, Lina Joy's case was rejected in May 2001, when a judge ruled, "As a Malay, the plaintiff exists under the tenets of Islam until her death." He also ruled that, since this was a religious matter, the case should be heard by the Islamic Sharia court, rather than the secular court. Since Islamic law declares that conversion from Islam is punishable by death, Joy knew that a Sharia court would not rule in her favour. She appealed the decision, on the basis of the Malaysian constitution which guarantees freedom of religion. Her case was heard by the Court of Appeal on October 14 and a decision is expected shortly.

Under Malaysian law, apostates from Islam can face a three year sentence in a "faith rehabilitation center," where counselors try to persuade them to return to Islam. If they fail to repent in that time, they could face an additional six years. A similar case was heard by the High Court in July 2004, which upheld the sentence of four converts to Christianity.

Pray for Lina Joy and other Christians facing discrimination and prison for their faith in Jesus Christ. Pray for strength to endure and the wisdom and faith to stand.

For more information on persecution of Christians in Malaysia, click here.

  • Country Information

    Population
    34,219,975 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Bumiputera (63.8 - Malays and indigenous peoples), Chinese (20.6), Indian (6), others (0.6), non-citizens (9)

    Religion (%)
    Muslim (63.5), Buddhist (18.7), Christian (9.1), Hindu (6.1), Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions (0.9), Other (1.8),

    Leader
    King Sultan Ibrahim ibni al-Marhum Sultan Iskandar (2024)

    Government type
    Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy

    Legal system
    Mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Court at request of supreme head of the federation

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Malaysia

    Pray that Christians will stand firm in their faith, despite opposition

    Pray that Malaysian Christians will be free to practice their faith in Jesus Christ.

    Pray that all Christians in Malaysia will be able to freely access the Bible.

Malaysia News

  • Christians Forcibly Registered as Muslims
    Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church
    A church in Malaysia.
    Photo: Public Domain

    Christians constitute a minority of the population in Malaysia, where they are frequently marginalized and pressured to convert to Islam. According to recent reports from the community of Nabawan, the national identity cards of some Christians have been secretly changed, classifying them as Muslims rather than followers of Jesus. These changes were made without the believers' knowledge.

  • Classified Report on Pastor Raymond Koh
    Raymond Koh
    Pastor Raymond Koh
     

    Since the disappearance of her husband in 2017, Susanna Koh has continued to search for answers. In 2020, the Christian woman filed a lawsuit against the Malaysian government in an attempt to force them to reveal what they know about the abduction of her husband, Pastor Raymond Koh. As a result of the lawsuit, the government was ordered to release the classified findings of a task force that had been created to look into Pastor Raymond's disappearance, as well as that of a social activist named Amri Che Mat.

  • Latest News on Pastor Raymond Koh
    Raymond Koh is with his wife, two daughters, and a son.
    Raymond Koh and his family.
    Photo: VOM USA

    On February 13th, 2017, Pastor Raymond Koh was kidnapped in broad daylight. More than seven years later, his wife Susanna continues to search tirelessly for answers regarding her husband's disappearance. As part of this process, she filed a lawsuit in 2020 against the Malaysian government for negligence.

  • Raymond Koh's Wife Demands Answers
    Raymond Koh is posing with his wife, two daughters, and son.
    Raymond Koh and his family.
    Photo: VOM USA

    Pastor Raymond Koh was no stranger to persecution when he was abducted off the streets of Malaysia on February 13th, 2017. The incident was caught on security cameras and, although no information about Pastor Raymond's captors has ever been released by the authorities, it is believed that government security forces were responsible for the incident. Video footage of the abduction is available here. For previously published reports about the missing pastor, see this list.