KUALA LUMPUR – Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar today called on the state religious authorities to verify the religious status of Malaysian woman Illi Najwa Saddique after photos of her wedding were widely shared on social media.
In a post on Facebook, His Royal Highness said that he has asked that the state religious department get in touch with her family and the Malaysian High Commission in India to resolve the matter.
His statement came after Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Ahmad Marzuk Shaary yesterday said the government was sensitive about such matters and Illi Najwa would be called in to explain her religious status as soon as she returned home.
He said the ministry was awaiting an official decision from Johor’s Islamic Religious Department (JAIJ) on Illi Najwa’s religious status.
It had been reported that Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh Pawar and Illi Najwa married in Mithapur near Jalandhar, Punjab in India.
Manpreet, 28, wore a Punjabi wedding suit complete with a turban, while Illi Najwa wore a Punjabi wedding dress when exchanging vows, raising questions among netizens about her religious status.
Sultan Ibrahim today urged the public not to come to their own conclusions, saying Najwa is currently undergoing a trial by the media.
“The woman is going a through trial process via media platforms when she herself has not declared that she has left Islam.
“If we take drastic actions in criticising her, we will be building a big wall that will prevent her from returning to Malaysia and being away from her family.”
He advised illi Najwa, who is from Johor, to ensure that her actions have the blessing of her parents and does not go against norms set out by the Islamic faith.
“I’m confident that the Johor Mufti Department and Islamic Affairs Department will provide assistance to her so she can maintain her faith according to Islamic law.”
He said that the matter needs to be handled with wisdom as it involves inter-religious and racial matters, and the relationship between two countries.
Yesterday, Marzuk was quoted as saying by Bernama that the government did not accept any application from Illi Najwa to leave Islam.
“We understand that she is from Johor and, according to preliminary information we obtained, she is still a Muslim, and so far, the government has not received an application from her to marry abroad.
“In fact, from what I have read on social media, it was also said the woman is still a Muslim and the man is said to have converted to Islam at the end of last year, but we will wait for confirmation when she returns.
“Currently, we are thinking positively that she is still a Muslim, but the traditions she followed contradict our religion. If she is still a Muslim, then she must repent,” he had said. – The Vibes, December 21, 2020
