Justice Celestina Stuel Galid granted an application by Abdul Manap Bakusai and his children for their MyKad to be corrected to state that they are not Muslims. However, no costs were ordered, Daily Express reported.

Celestina said there was no renunciation of Islam involved as JPN had wrongly recorded their details, adding that the department’s errors barred Manap and his children from exercising their constitutional right to freedom of religion.

She said there was evidence that Manap and his family had always practised Christianity, citing paperwork like other identity documents, baptism records and letters from churches.

The judge expressed concern about JPN’s “recurring administrative problems” in assigning a religion to a person without factual or legal evidence.

She said similar errors were also seen in previous cases, with a person’s religion recorded based on assumptions, sometimes despite clear instructions from applicants.

Celestina described this as troubling, expressing concern in particular for illiterate applicants from more rural areas who depend on JPN officers for assistance.