Sarawak state minister Fatimah Abdullah today denied that there was an attempt to convert a 13-year-old schoolgirl to Islam.

Fatimah said the Iban girl by the name of Sabrina Ngumbang, who is in form one, had expressed interest to convert to Islam but she was never officially converted by the state Islamic department.

"The issue ended at home and there was also objection from the church. The process did not proceed and Sabrina is still a Christian," Fatimah was quoted as saying in The Borneo Post today.

Fatimah added that Sabrina is still underaged even though she had told her teacher that she wanted to become a Muslim.

Sabrina was accompanied by her parents to lodge a police report on March 25 after she and five other students were on March 14 taken by a school teacher to a house in Samling Kuala Baram, Miri.

At the house, the students were allegedly brought into a room where they were taught to recite a Muslim prayer, and thereafter given a cash award of RM200 each.

"On leaving the room, another person gave me a cash amount of RM50. I was then given the prayer veil to put on and along with it other prayer accessories," she stated in her report.

The student was then allegedly told that she would be brought to the Islamic Religious Department on March 16.

Fatimah said the teachers should have consulted Sabrina's parents.

"Even though she wants to convert to Islam but she is under 18, so her parents have a right to be informed," said Fatimah.

So now we’re giving bribes for God’s love?