NRD appeal against apostate to be withdrawn – Adenan

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adenan-UBO

Adenan Satem

KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has given his assurance that the National Registration Department’s (NRD) notice of appeal against the Kuching High Court’s decision to recognise Sarawakian Rooney Rebit’s right to be legally known as a Christian will be withdrawn.

The chief minister said he has spoken to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on the matter and he (Najib) had given him the assurance that the appeal by NRD will be withdrawn.

“I must also apologise for the delay as I only got to know about the matter today,” he said in a statement issued by his press secretary Ambrose Cheng.

The NRD filed a notice of appeal on Apr 22 after it was ordered by the Kuching High Court to issue a new MyKad to Rooney with the name he was born with and with the Muslim classification removed.

The Kuching High Court on March 24 ruled in Rooney’s favour, holding that his conversion as a minor was not of his own volition and he had the constitutional right to exercise his freedom of religion.