KUALA LUMPUR – Although the three children have been converted to Islam, Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) is urging for single mother Loh Siew Hong to be allowed to meet them as often as possible.
Movement president Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz said the issue needs to be resolved seeing that it has dragged on for so long following the custody case and the unilateral conversion of the children.
He said in a statement that flexibility should be provided for mothers who have not yet converted to Islam to meet their Muslim children as often as possible.
“A mother’s love for her child is a nature bestowed by God that no one has the right to violate.
“In fact, the mother’s assurance to accept the children’s conversion shows her sincerity. This guarantee should not be a reason to deny the mother the right to meet the children on the pretext of preserving their religion.
“The children’s welfare should be made a priority in finding solutions to ensure their future is secure.”
Loh’s habeas corpus application to regain custody of her twin daughters aged 14 and son aged 10 will be heard at the Kuala Lumpur High Court tomorrow.
It is done to compel the return of her three children into her custody, as she alleges that they are being held illegally by the Perlis Islamic Religious Affairs Department.
The 35-year-old was trying to locate her three children who went missing for the last three years while she was undergoing treatment for mental and physical injuries from an allegedly abusive marriage.
She had divorced her husband and obtained custody of their children last year, with the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordering police to ensure the return of the children to her.
After she was discharged from the treatment centre for abused women in 2019, Loh scouted the northern region of Penang, Kedah, and Perlis to trace her children.
Over the last two weeks, she has managed to see her children thrice.
Loh also has indications that her children are open towards reconciliation after a three-year separation which saw them placed under the care at a Perlis religious department’s halfway home, while they were educated at a nearby religious school there.
They were reportedly converted to Islam three years ago although they are minors. Only their father, who became a Muslim himself, consented while Loh was unaware of it until recently. – The Vibes, February 20, 2022
