The Kuching High Court has allowed a Sarawakian Bidayuh, who was converted to Islam as a child, to change his religion to Christianity.

High Court Judge Yew Ken Kie granted the declaration to Azmi Mohamad Azam @ Roneey following a judicial review, according to The Star Online .

Justice Yew also ordered the National Registration Department (NRD) to change the applicant's name to Roneey Rebit and his religion to Christianity in his identity card.

The NRD had insisted that Azmi would need a release letter from the Syariah Court to change his religion but the judge disagreed.

Justice Yew said as an adult, Azmi was now free to choose his faith according to the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion.

“He does not need a Syariah Court order to release him from Islam because freedom of religion is his constitutional right and only he can exercise that right.

“His conversion to the Muslim faith was not of his own volition but by virtue of his parents’ conversion when he was a minor.

“He is not challenging the validity of his conversion as a minor. But having become a major, he is free to exercise his right of freedom to religion and he chose Christianity,” she was quoted as saying.

The report also quoted the Association of Churches in Sarawak applauding the court decision.

“We call upon the federal government to honour and give effect to the guarantee of religious freedom as provided in the Malaysia Agreement and uphold the constitutional rights and fundamental liberties accorded by the federal constitution to all citizens of Malaysia,” it was quoted as saying.