Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Ahmad Marzuk Shaary has urged all parties to respect the relevant state laws on the matter of religious conversion.
He said each state has its own laws regarding the religion of children.
“Some states require the consent of one parent and some states require consent from both parents.
“On this matter, we respect the conditions decided by the states because the matter (Islamic personal and family law) is under state jurisdiction, and the conditions decided are based on the views of the ulama and legitimate fatwas,” he said in a statement today.
Marzuk (above) was commenting on the controversy surrounding the single mother Loh Siew Hong, who was until recently separated from her three children after her former spouse Nagahswaran Muniandy unilaterally converted them to Islam.
Loh has since regained custody of the children from a religious preacher and the Social Welfare Department and now plans to challenge and nullify the conversion.
According to Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, the children’s father brought the three children to Perlis for their conversion in July 2020.
In 2018, however, the Federal Court ruled in the unilateral conversion case involving the children of kindergarten teacher M Indira Gandhi that the Federal Constitution requires the consent of both parents to determine their children’s religion.
Lawful conversion
Referring to Loh’s case, Ahmad Marzuk said Nagahswaran’s move to convert the children to Islam is in line with the laws in force in Perlis at the time, under Section 117(b) of the state’s Administration of Islam Enactment 2006 that only requires the consent of one parent.
Thus, the Pengkalan Chepa MP said the matter should not be questioned since the conversion to Islam was in accordance with legitimate state laws and procedures.
“What more with accusations that religious authorities have ‘kidnapped and converted’ the children? We should not stoke controversy to the point of threatening multiracial harmony in this country,” he said. - Mkini
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