Sept 27 hearing for Maips' bid to vary Loh's custody order

 

The civil court has fixed Sept 27 to hear Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Etiquette Council’s (Maips) bid to vary Loh Siew Hong’s custody order over her three unilaterally converted children.

The 35-year-old single mother’s counsel Gunamalar Joorindanjn this afternoon confirmed the hearing date of the state religious authority’s bid to be allowed to impart religious guidance to Loh’s twin girls, 15, and her 11-year-old son.

The lawyer added that the High Court (family division) in Kuala Lumpur has also set Sept 1 and 15 for parties to file their written submissions before the hearing.

Initially, on June 15 last year, the family court denied Maips’ application to intervene in the custody case between Loh and her Muslim convert former husband Muhammad Nagahswaran Muniandy, 35.

However, on Feb 7, the Court of Appeal allowed Maips’ appeal and ordered the state religious body be made part of the custody case so that it could then file to vary Loh’s custody order.

Loh has since gone to the Federal Court to quash the Court of Appeal’s decision. The apex court has fixed July 6 to hear her appeal to remove Maips from the custody case.

In 2021, Loh obtained sole custody over the children, who Nagahswaran unilaterally converted without her consent.

The civil court granted full custody to the single mother on March 31 of that year and decree nisi (to annul Loh’s marriage to Nagahswaran) on Sept 23 of the same year.

Access to Islamic education

In a media statement last year, the council said it sought a court order to vary the custody order so that it could provide Islamic education to the children while being under their non-Muslim mother’s care.

Maips said the assistance would include guidance on Islamic teachings, not limited to the principles of halal and haram food, as well as financial support via zakat and other aid channelled to the children through Loh.

The council emphasised that it was not seeking to interfere or take any side in the divorce proceedings between Loh and Nagahswaran, as the matter was merely between the estranged couple.

On April 5, the family court fined Nagahswaran RM20,000 in default of 14 days in jail for contempt of court linked to running off with the children and unilaterally converting them. He has since paid the fine.

Loh was only reunited with her children following a High Court (criminal jurisdiction) in Kuala Lumpur order early last year.

She also failed in a separate court action to nullify the children’s unilateral conversion. However, she has since gone to the Court of Appeal over this issue. - Mkini