THE Kuala Lumpur High Court has ordered controversial preacher Firdaus Wong to temporarily take down a TikTok video said to provide advice to minors on how to convert to Islam without their parents’ knowledge or consent.
Judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh ruled on the ex-parte injunction that had been filed by several non-Muslim parents to maintain the status quo during ongoing legal proceedings, reported Malaysiakini.
“The court has set Oct 17 for inter parte hearing,” lawyer M. Visvanathan, representing the non-Muslim parents, was quoted as saying by the news portal.
He added that the interim ruling is to allow the preacher who goes by the moniker “Bro Firdaus Wong” on social media, the opportunity to respond to the injunction.
According to Malaysiakini, the court has yet to set a date for a full hearing regarding the merits of the case that was filed on July 18.
Back in June, Firdaus allegedly uploaded a video on TikTok showing him advising a man on how to handle requests to convert to Islam from some non-Muslim teenagers without their parents finding out.
Firdaus reportedly suggested that such teens who want to become Muslims should do so discreetly without registering their conversions, which triggered uproar among non-Muslims as the Federal Court had previously set the precedent that the conversion of minors requires the knowledge and consent of both parents.
Malaysiakini reported one concerned parent expressing their fears about the potential secret conversion of their children in the affidavit.
“I emphasise that this is due to the risk of our underaged children’s religion being changed without our knowledge as parents of non-Muslim underaged children,” the parent said in the affidavit sighted by Malaysiakini.
The parent further argued that failing to prevent such covert proselytisation could pose risks to the physical and mental well-being of their children, and might disrupt national harmony.
Through the lawsuit, the parents are seeking an injunction to prevent Firdaus from proselytising or advising underaged non-Muslim children to change their faith.
The plaintiffs also seek a court order to compel the defendant to remove the controversial TikTok video. – Oct 3, 2024
