KANGAR – Perlis Mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has claimed the three children belonging to single mother Loh Siew Hong had refused to be reunited with their mother on February 14 when they were first reunited at the state religious department’s office here.
Commenting on the ongoing custody battle involving the children last night, Asri said the meeting was held to surrender the children to Loh, who brought the high court custody order which had been issued last year, but became complicated when the children refused to leave with her.
As such, Asri said police then intervened by getting a temporary court order to place the children at the Kedah Welfare Department’s detention home in Taman Harapan, Jitra, Kedah.
The cleric also clarified that it was the Kedah authorities who issued conditions to Loh on visitation rights due to Covid-19, whereas the Perlis Religious Affairs Department did not impose such conditions.
Previously, Loh had reportedly stated that her children were brainwashed to hate her with various tales, including that it was she who caused their father to be imprisoned.
The father, who is accused of being a drug addict, is now serving time in a Kelantan prison on a narcotics charge.
He is due for release in November.
Earlier, Malaysian Tamiliar Kural, a non-governmental organisation seeking to defend Loh’s rights, released a video on social media showing the children apparently willing to be reunited with Loh, last Saturday.
Asri urged Loh and the politicians involved in this case to be sincere in this controversial issue, saying that Islam respects the rights of the mother.
“Also, we want the public to know that it was ustazah Nazirah Nanthakumari, a religious officer accredited with the Penang Religious Affairs Department, who was caring for the children in the past three years in Loh’s absence.”
The children are twin girls aged 14 and a boy, aged 10.
He also stressed that it was Nazirah who contacted Loh to inform her that her children were being cared for at the Perlis religious facility, adding that Nazirah wanted to reunite Loh with her children and had advised them to respect their mother.
As the Kuala Lumpur High Court is set to hear the habeas corpus application filed by Loh today, on grounds that her children were held against their will, Asri said the religious authorities were wrongly depicted as trying to prevent Loh from obtaining custody of her children.
Additionally Asri also alluded to the possibility that while Loh will regain full custody of her children, he stressed that as a Muslim, he and other Muslims would defend their children’s rights to continue practising Islam.
Asri pointed out the colonial-era case involving Dutch teenager Maria Huberdina Hertogh, also known as Natrah, who was returned to her non-Muslim parents, which ensured that she was unable to practise Islam as she had practised while under the care of her Malay adoptive mother.
He expressed hope that Loh’s children will be encouraged to practise Islam until they reach the legal age of 18 where they can decide for themselves.
Asri lambasted certain quarters who wanted to exploit the issue by smearing the good name of Islam. – The Vibes, February 21, 2022
