The Saddest Apostasy Story in Kampar, Perak
Names like Aisyah Haji Bohari, Hartina Binti Haji Kamarudin, Azlina Jailani, Siti Fatimah Tan, and many others may no longer be remembered by Muslims, even though these names were once very popular. Nevertheless, these are the names that often come up in our society today when discussing issues of apostasy at coffee shops.
A lifestyle that does not emphasize religious living has exposed Muslims to fragile faith. Eventually, their conviction in ALLAH erodes over time. The culmination of this crisis of faith in ALLAH is an individual's act of apostasy. The story we wish to share on orangperak.com this time may raise sensitive issues for non-Muslim readers, but we believe you are all mature enough to understand that this article is not intended to incite racial issues, but rather to provide content that is meaningful and beneficial. Returning to the saddest apostasy case in Perak that we wish to share with our loyal readers as a reminder, it concerns a woman named Hartina Binti Haji Kamarudin, who is said to be from Kampar, Perak. For your information, loyal readers of orangperak.com, Hartina Binti Haji Kamarudin was born on March 15, 1974, in Kampar, Perak. She received her primary and secondary education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Methodist (ACS) and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Methodist (ACS) in Kampar, Perak. The main character in this story, Hartina, was the second of four siblings. However, the first passed away at 15 days old. Thus, Hartina became the eldest in the family. Her father, Haji Kamarudin, was a satay seller in Kampar, Perak. The story begins when Hartina was 18 years old and went to Kuala Lumpur after receiving a job offer at a bank on Jalan Klang Lama. However, after leaving the state of Perak, Hartina eventually returned to meet her father having apostatized, and she brought her boyfriend along. Her boyfriend's friends also tagged along, just in case anything bad happened. It is said that at that time, Haji Kamarudin became angry and hit Hartina's boyfriend, and subsequently, Haji Kamarudin was beaten by Hartina's boyfriend's friends. Hartina's younger brother, who was 16 at the time, was also beaten just for trying to save his sister's faith in front of their father's shop. Are you wondering what Hartina's reaction and actions were at that time? What Hartina did was truly sad and shocking. It is not right for a child raised with love to let her father lie in pain after being beaten. Even worse, Hartina only helped and supported her lover to leave the scene. They even filed a police report claiming that Haji Kamarudin had hit her boyfriend. As a result of Hartina's police report, Haji Kamarudin was thrown into a lock-up for 14 days along with his son, all for the sake of defending the faith of his beloved daughter and the family's hope. Hartina also filed a lawsuit against her father for RM3 million.
What father could bear the pain of being treated this way by his own child? After that, Hartina reportedly married her boyfriend on March 24, 1996, and then moved to Australia, where she likely resides to this day. Hartina also changed her name to Nivasni Rajeswari. For Hartina's family, recalling the events that took place in 1996 is truly painful. However, they remain resilient and have gathered the courage to retell the story as a lesson for other parents and young people out there. In Malaysia, laws regarding apostasy exist in several forms, such as attempted apostasy offenses as found in the Syariah Criminal Enactments in several states like Perak, Melaka, Kelantan, Sabah, and Negeri Sembilan. Syariah courts are also specifically empowered to declare that a person is no longer a Muslim. Meanwhile, inducing a Muslim to apostatize has been made an offense under the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Muslim Religions Among Muslims Enactment. This issue of apostasy must be handled in an integrated and prudent manner by all parties. Authorities, families, religious institutions, NGOs, and the surrounding community play an important role in combating this phenomenon. A prudent and continuous approach is also crucial for the effectiveness of dakwah (preaching) and to prevent Muslims from apostatizing. The strengthening of faith (aqidah), worship, and character can be instilled in Muslims through law and education. Both must go hand in hand to ensure the effectiveness of Islamic dakwah.
