No religious status for Teoh’s children

The birth certificates show neither their religion nor their father's name.

GEORGE TOWN: All four children of the late Teoh Cheng Cheng, whose religious status is under legal dispute, hold birth certificates that do not record their religious status or their father’s name.

Teoh had three daughters—Medlyn Teoh, born in 1997; Melyn Aliana Teoh (2000); Melessa Amelea (1999)–a son, Man Keat Foo (2004).

Their birth certificates were shown to FMT today. All four record the mother’s name as Teoh Cheng Cheng, not Nora Teoh Abdullah, which the Penang Islamic Religious Department (Jaipp) claims was the name she took when she converted to Islam in 1997.

Medlyn’s certificate does not record her mother’s religion. The other three, however, show the mother’s religion as “Buddhist”.

All four were born at the Penang Hospital and the birth certificates were issued by the state branch of the National Registration Department.

When JAIPP officers seized Teoh’s body from her family in Taman Pelangi Apartment, Lebuh Macallum, on Monday afternoon, it was minutes before it was to be taken for a traditional Chinese procession to the Batu Gantung United Hokkien Cemetery for cremation.

The officers produced a document to support their claim that she was a Muslim.

Medelyn Teoh has filed an application at the Syariah High Court seeking an order to declare that her mother was not a Muslim.

She said the deceased had only applied to convert to Islam in 1997 but never officially made the declaration of faith and never received an identity card showing her Muslim status.

The court is expected to announce its decision today.

Meanwhile, sources said Teoh’s family would file a civil action today at the High Court in a bid to reclaim her body from the Islamic authorities.