Community leaders in Sabah are calling for a wider investigation into the alleged abuse of religious identity to secure government contracts, following a series of revelations involving both false Islamic registrations and non-Muslims securing tenders meant for halal food suppliers.
The cases, concentrated in the interior district of Nabawan, involve at least two distinct patterns: villagers who were unknowingly registered as Muslims, and non-Muslim individuals who were awarded school food supply contracts that require Muslim ownership.
According to Raymond Ahuar, president of the Pertubuhan Kebudayaan dan Kebajikan Murut Malaysia, the incidents appear to be part of a larger scheme designed to profit from Malaysia’s halal procurement system by using religious status as a means of qualification.
He also believes there’s an elaborate syndicate behind all of this, alleging that those behind them are said to be politically connected as one of them used to be a leader of the Sabah chapter of a ruling national-based party.
“We are seeing a pattern where identity — and specifically religious identity — is being exploited to gain access to public money,” he said.
In one case, a woman who never converted to Islam was later found to be listed as Muslim in religious records.
In another, individuals who had converted were reportedly promised one-time payments of RM1,000 as an incentive — payments that were either partially fulfilled or never received at all.
One such case involved Jurni Andawa, a farmworker from Kampung Mosopoh, who said he was offered RM1,000 upon embracing Islam but only received RM300 monthly for three years.
He now suspects that the original amount was claimed by someone else. He also told officers that only recently did he learn such incentives were distributed using zakat funds — a form of Islamic almsgiving — despite his conversion taking place more than a decade ago.
For those who never converted but were still listed as Muslims — such as Marni Pangeran and three individuals from a church in Nabawan — the consequences have extended beyond paperwork.
Some have children now classified as Muslims in official records, despite being raised in Christian households. Others risk losing their roles in church organisations due to conflicting religious status in government databases.
But Raymond believes the full extent of the issue remains unknown, particularly given recent revelations involving falsified religious records.
The matter is further complicated by overlapping jurisdictions.
While JHEAINS maintains religious records, JPN codes religion on identity cards, and the Sabah State Education Department awards food contracts.
JHEAINS has advised that any individual already registered as Muslim in their system but who disputes their status should bring the matter before the Syariah Court.
Meanwhile, Raymond is calling for a cross-agency audit and a thorough review of all halal food contracts and religious conversions in the region. He reiterated his view that all citizens — regardless of ethnicity or creed — share a responsibility to safeguard Islam as the official religion of Malaysia.
“We need to know how widespread this is. Whether it’s five names or fifty, this touches on the basic rights of individuals.
“It’s about dignity. It’s about trust. And about how a system built to protect people was used to exploit them,” he said. – April 29, 2025
