Adenan said he had spoken to Najib today and that the prime minister had given his assurance that the appeal, filed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) on behalf of the NRD, would be withdrawn.
“I must also apologise for the delay as I only got to know about the matter today,” said Adenan in a statement.
In March, Roneey, a Bidayuh, successfully renounced Islam to legally return to Christianity. He also obtained a court order to compel the NRD to have the change reflected in his identity card and other records.
Earlier today, prior to Adenan’s announcement, PKR Sarawak condemned the NRD’s interference in Roneey’s case and said it showed Adenan was unlikely to secure religious autonomy in Sarawak as he had earlier promised.
The party’s Joint Director of Operations, Lynette Tan said in a press conference in Kuching, that the NRD’s appeal meant Sarawakians were not entirely free from federal interference.
She also said Najib and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi were obligated to explain why the NRD insisted on meddling with the religious freedom of Sarawakians.
Tan said that Zahid, who is also Home Minister, should clarify whether he and Najib were on the same page as Adenan on Sarawak’s autonomy, since the NRD was under the purview of the Home Ministry.