Villagers in Sabah find themselves listed as Muslims without their knowledge

SEVERAL villagers in the interior Sabah district of Nabawan discovered they were officially listed as Muslims despite never converting to the religion, raising serious concerns about identity manipulation.

Among those affected is 38-year-old Marni Pangeran, a Christian mother of four who only discovered her status had changed during a routine verification at the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAINS) office.

According to records held by the department, Marni was said to have embraced Islam in 2009. 

However, she maintains that she never converted and was unaware of any such documentation.

“I was born a Christian and I have always been a Christian. I never signed any forms or gave my thumbprint,” she said when she visited the department’s office in Nabawan. 

The form in question, which carried her name and identification card number, included a headscarf-wearing photograph taken years earlier for a health card application. 

The document also contained a thumbprint she denies is hers.

JHEAINS has since confirmed it will review Marni’s case following her formal denial after she lodged a police report.

Another three individuals, all of whom are active members of a church in Nabawan, have also been identified in the JHEAINS database as Muslims. 

Their church leaders expressed shock when notified by officials. 

The individuals were not present at the department office when the findings were confirmed and their names are being withheld to protect their identities.

The discovery was made during checks conducted by the Pertubuhan Kebudayaan dan Kebajikan Murut Malaysia. 

It’s president, Raymond Ahuar, said the findings raised serious questions about how religious records were altered without the individuals’ knowledge or consent.

“These are active Christians. Their names appearing in the Islamic database is alarming.

“It may reflect either manipulation or a systemic loophole that is being exploited.”

Marni’s case may reflect a broader pattern. 

Marni said she was initially offered RM1,000 a month by two individuals from a company, as part of what she believed was a legitimate employment opportunity. 

The payments eventually stopped, and she was never informed that her identity had been used for other purposes such as her conversion to Islam.

According to Raymond, several individuals in Nabawan’s Murut community — an indigenous ethnic group in Sabah — were reportedly enticed with small cash incentives or vague job promises in exchange for handing over identification documents.

“These are vulnerable communities. They do not control the finances or operate the companies their names are linked to. They were used.”

In a separate case, 39-year-old Jenifer Ansakoi discovered that she had been classified as Muslim when reissuing her lost identity card.

Four of her sons are officially Christian, but her two youngest children — now in Form 1 and Year 1 — were listed as Muslims under the Islamic patronymic “bin Abdullah”.

However, a check with JHEAINS revealed that her name was not in their system, suggesting the error may have originated with the National Registration Department (JPN). 

She has been advised to pursue rectification through JPN.

The findings also extend to individuals who had formally converted. 

One such case involves Jurni Andawa, a farmworker from Kampung Mosopoh who embraced Islam in 2009. 

He told JHEAINS officers that he had been promised a one-off payment of RM1,000 upon conversion, which he never received. Instead, he was given RM300 monthly for three years. 

He also said he only learned recently that financial incentives tied to his conversion may have been processed by JHEAINS using zakat funds — information he had never been made aware of before.

The full extent of the issue in Nabawan remains unclear, but Raymond believes the problem may go far beyond isolated incidents. 

He is urging members of the Murut community, particularly in the interior district, to verify their religious status with JHEAINS, especially if they had previously submitted personal documents for employment or business-related matters or they simply have doubts. 

“This isn’t just about administrative errors. It’s about identity and the rights of people whose faith has been altered without their consent.”

Raymond also emphasised that every Malaysian — regardless of race or religion — has a duty to safeguard Islam as the official religion of the Federation.

For cases where individuals are found to be registered in the JHEAINS system as Muslims but dispute the record, the department has advised that complaints or challenges be brought to the Syariah Court. – April 26, 2025