The woman at the centre of a religious controversy has accused the country's highest court of denying her fundamental rights in rejecting her bid to be legally recognised as Christian.

Lina Joy's comments - in the Star - came a day after the Federal Court rejected her attempt to win recognition of her conversion from Islam.

Lina, 43, had sought the removal of the word "Islam" from her national identity card.

But the Federal Court, the highest secular legal body, threw out her case and said only an Islamic syariah tribunal could legally certify her conversion.

"I am disappointed that the Federal Court is not able to vindicate a simple but important fundamental right that exists in all persons," the daily quoted Lina as saying through her lawyer.

Lina was referring to the right to believe in the religion of one's choice, and the right to marry a person of one's choosing.

She cannot legally marry her Christian partner because Malaysian law requires non-Muslims to convert to Islam to wed a Muslim.

"The Federal Court has not only denied me that right but to all Malaysians who value fundamental freedoms," Lina was quoted as saying.

"I am hoping that my case would have made a difference to the development of constitutional issues in the plight of many others."

Her lawyer, Benjamin Dawson, told AFP that he and Joy were considering their next move but the options were very limited.

He declined to reveal Joy's whereabouts, saying she just wanted to be left alone.

Great sorrow

The New Straits Times quoted her as saying she received the court's verdict with "great sorrow."

While a coalition of Muslim groups welcomed the verdict, rights activists said the court had failed to address concerns over religious freedom in the country.

DAP member of parliament Teresa Kok called for a constitutional amendment that would make explicit the civil courts' superiority over syariah courts in all matters.

Islam is Malaysia's official religion. More than 60 percent of the nation's 27 million people are Muslim Malays.

But while the constitution defines the ethnic majority Malays as Muslims it also guarantees freedom of religion. The country's minority Chinese and Indians are mostly Buddhists, Hindus or Christians.

Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim's majority judgment (PDF)

Richard Malanjum dissenting decision (PDF)