In a rare victory for religious minorities in Malaysia, a Christian man was legally recognized as a non-Muslim by an Islamic court on March 6. Mohammad Shah (60), who goes by the alias Gilbert Freeman, brought his case to the Sharia court in Negeri Sembilan state after the National Registration Department refused to acknowledge his Christian faith when he applied for a new identity card. Freeman was raised a Christian by his mother after his Muslim father abandoned the family when Freeman was only two months old. As a result, the judge ruled that Freeman had never been a Muslim and his identity card could therefore be changed. The court also found no evidence that Freeman's parents were ever legally married.
Praise the Lord that Freeman's faith has been recognized in this way. Pray for increased religious freedom in Malaysia.
To find out more about the plight of Malaysian Christians, go to the Malaysia Country Report.
Country Information
Population 31,809,660 (July 2018 est.)
Ethnicity (%) Bumiputera (61.7 - Malays and indigenous peoples), Chinese (20.8), Indigenous (11.8), Indian (6.2), others (0.9), non-citizens (10.4)
Religion (%) Muslim (61.3), Buddhist (19.8), Christian (9.2), Hindu (6.3), Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions (1.3), Other (0.4), Non-religious (0.8),
Leader King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah
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.
Pastor Raymond Koh, Jonathan (son), Susanna (wife), and Esther (daughter) Photo (family): Free Malaysia Today
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