[UPDATED] Loh Siew Hong allowed to proceed with bid to quash her kids’ unilateral conversion

KUALA LUMPUR – Single mother Loh Siew Hong can proceed with her bid to quash the unilateral conversion to Islam of her three children, the Kuala Lumpur High Court has ruled.

Malaysiakini reported that the court today granted leave to Loh’s judicial review application to nullify the conversion of the children by her former husband, Muhammad Nagashwaran Muniandy, a Muslim convert.

Judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, in allowing the leave, said Loh was within the time period to file her judicial review. She had filed the action on March 23, after receiving confirmation about her children’s conversion on March 4.

Wan Ahmad said although Loh’s children were converted to Islam on July 7, 2020, she only confirmed the matter in March this year and, as such, was within the timeframe to file a judicial review.

“It depends on when the decision was communicated to the applicant,” the judge said in granting leave during online proceedings.

The court will next set a date to hear the merits of Loh’s legal challenge.

Loh, who is represented by A. Srimurugan and Shamsher Singh Thind, obtained full custody of the three children through the civil family court in December last year.

The 34-year-old mother is now seeking to overturn the registration of her children’s conversion by the Perlis Muallaf Registrar and a declaration that the children – twin daughters aged 13, and a 10-year-old son – are Hindus.

She also wants the court to declare as unconstitutional a Perlis enactment allowing a single parent to unilaterally convert a minor to Islam.

Loh is also seeking a declaration that her ex-husband was not legally fit to convert the children.

She has named in her judicial review the Perlis Muallaf Registrar, the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (Maips), state mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, and the state government as respondents.

The state government is represented by senior federal counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly @ Arwi, while Maips is represented by Haniff Khatri Abdulla and Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar. – The Vibes, August 1, 2022