Lina Joy

For all the wrong reasons Malaysia made the headlines again. For 10 years she fought the state and Little Napoleons to have Islam removed from her identity card. She was even baptized.

Today it was denied. Denied by the Federal Court, the highest appeals court in Malaysia.

Read the Constituition of Malaysia here

Article 8, Clause 2 states

Except as expressly authorized by this Constitution, there shall be no
discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent or
place of birth in any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of
property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession,
vocation or employment

Article 11, states :

(1) Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject
to Clause (4), to propagate it.

(4) State law and in respect of the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam

Picked up from IHT, Cathnews, Guardian

The Chief Justice of Malaya, Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim, who read out his
majority opinion in the packed but respectfully hushed courtroom, said the
government agency responsible for identity cards had acted reasonably when it
refused to change Joy's religious status.
"She cannot at her own whim simply enter or leave her religion," Ahmad said. "She must follow rules."

OK. I am definitely not a lawyer nor do I have any legal training, but does "whim" equals a free will or freedom ?

And what does "Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion" sound to you ?

To cut a long argument short, Lina Joy did not "enter" into Islam, she was forced into it by the State, at birth. She was not given a choice.