Convoluted emotions go a long way in creating havoc as we have seen in the recent apostasy cases, be it the case of Lina Joy or Revathy.

Lina Joy, 43, converted to Christianity in her 20s because she wanted to marry her Christian boyfriend. She changed her name Azlina Jailani and turned to the courts after the National Registration Department (NRD) rejected her appeal to have the word 'Islam' removed from her Mykad. The department consented to the name change but rejected to amend the status of Lina's religion, asking her to obtain a black-and-white from the Syariah Court confirming that she is no longer a practising Muslim.

The decision by the Supreme Court to concede with the NRD left many non-Muslims upset, purportedly because the freedom to practise her religion of choice was denied to Lina.