Maips appeals to provide Islamic education to Loh's children

 

The Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Etiquette Council (Maips) has gone up to the Court of Appeal to be allowed to provide Islamic guidance to the unilaterally converted children of 35-year-old single mother Loh Siew Hong.

The state Islamic body filed the notice of appeal on Friday last week (Oct 20), targeting the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s dismissal of its application to vary the custody order granted to Loh (above) in relation to her children - twin daughters aged 15 and an 11-year-old boy.

When contacted by Malaysiakini this afternoon, Maips’ counsel Danial Farhan confirmed the matter, adding that the appellate court has yet to set a case management date, due to the appeal having just been filed recently.

On Oct 11, the Kuala Lumpur family court denied Maips’ bid, revealing that Loh’s children do not wish to be Muslims.

Judge Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz said the welfare and interest of the children are not served by allowing Maips access to the kids twice a week for Islamic education.

In her interview with the children on Sept 27, the children informed the judge that they were aware of Maips' bid for supervised access to them and they expressly objected to this.

Hayatul noted that the children wished to stay with Loh and that problems started when the children's Muslim convert father, Muhammad Nagahswaran Muniandy, 35, got involved in drugs and abused Loh.

Loh Siew Hong

The judge noted that in regard to past media reports of the children allegedly performing Islamic prayers, she reiterated the children’s claims that it was because they had no choice.

Hayatul said the children went through one traumatic incident after another and that parents ought to do right by the children as the parents determine the path that the kids grow up on.

The three children are currently under Loh’s custody and residing in the Klang Valley.

Painful history

Incidentally, the Court of Appeal is set to hear Loh's appeal to nullify the unilateral conversion of her three children in January next year. The appeal was initially set to be heard on Oct 19 this year before it was rescheduled.

Maips seeks a variation of the civil court custody order so that the council could provide Islamic education to the children while being under their non-Muslim mother’s care.

In the divorce petition, Loh was granted sole custody, care, and control over the children from Muhammad in 2021.

However, in 2019, it was reported the father took the three children away while Loh was hospitalised with injuries - which she alleged he had inflicted.

It was contended that Muhammad embraced Islam on July 7, 2020, and converted the three children to the faith without Loh's consent.

On Feb 21 last year, Loh’s children, who were under the care of the Social Welfare Department, were released to their mother after the High Court allowed her habeas corpus application. - Mkini