THE Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPS) is now seeking to intervene in the divorce of single mother Loh Siew Hong’s child custody order, in an attempt to maintain her children’s unilateral conversion to Islam.
According to Free Malaysia Today, the council has applied to the Kuala Lumpur High Court to allow it to provide Islamic education to Loh’s children.
“The council deems that it has locus standi in the application as their father had converted them to Islam in Perlis.
“We reiterate that this application is not about denying Loh’s rights over her children. We hope that no parties will try to stoke religious hate or racist sentiments over this,” MAIPs’ lawyer, Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar was reported as saying.
On Feb 22, the High Court allowed Loh’s bid for habeas corpus to recover her children, which in effect, quashed the illegal detention of her children who had been unilaterally converted to Islam.
Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah reminded all quarters that the earlier court orders which granted sole custody of the children to Loh were still in effect, and should not be treated with impunity or risk being in contempt of court.
“The three children are to be released forthwith to the sole custody, care and control of the applicant (Loh),” the judge was reported as saying.
Loh’s ex-husband, M Nagashwaran had took away the children and converted then unilaterally in Perlis while the former was being sheltered by the welfare department following domestic abuse.
He is currently serving time on drug-related charges.
On Feb 21, Perlis mufti Datuk Asri Zainul Abidin had vowed to retain her children as Muslims despite his views being in direct conflict with the Federal Court ruling in 2018, where the apex court had ruled a minor can only be converted with the consent from both parents.
Just want to protect the children’s faith
As for the current case, MAIPS filed the application through law firm Chambers of Zainul Rijal, at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday.
It is application, MAIPS claims it is planning to provide Islamic education assistance to the children which would include guidance on Islamic teachings, as well as financial support via zakat and other aid channelled to the children through Loh.
“Our role is merely to ensure the welfare and aqidah (belief) of the muallaf (recent convert to Islam) children are always safeguarded due to their being very committed as Muslims, and so that they would receive needed support and help in terms of finance, education and social-wise.
“Despite being under Loh’s custody, the three children can be seen expressing desire and wish via action and behaviour to remain in Islam, still practising its principles.
“In fact, several media reports said they perform dawn prayer, and when one of them (children) were asked by a journalist, (the child) replied wanting to be a Syarie lawyer upon adulthood,” Malaysiakini reported the Islamic body as saying. – March 8, 2022.
Main photo credit: Yahoo News
