02-27-2022, 10:17 AM
Why are unilateral conversions still an issue in Malaysia?
![[Image: loh-siew-hong-Seberang-Perai-P-David-Marshel-pic-2.jpg]](https://s3media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/loh-siew-hong-Seberang-Perai-P-David-Marshel-pic-2.jpg)
PETALING JAYA: A single mother, Loh Siew Hong has regained custody of her three children who were converted to Islam without her permission but the issue of unilateral conversions is far from over.
Many observers thought the 2018 Federal Court ruling on the M Indira Gandhi case had settled the issue of unilateral conversions. The apex court had then ruled that the words “parent or guardian” under Article 12 (4) of the Federal Constitution meant both parents or guardians.
The Loh case has reignited a fierce debate on the conversion issue.
Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin defended the conversion of Loh’s children, saying it was in line with the relevant enactment in Perlis that allows for unilateral conversions. Others raised the issue of the discrepancy between the English and Bahasa Malaysia (BM) versions of the Federal Constitution.
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Many observers thought the 2018 Federal Court ruling on the M Indira Gandhi case had settled the issue of unilateral conversions. The apex court had then ruled that the words “parent or guardian” under Article 12 (4) of the Federal Constitution meant both parents or guardians.
The Loh case has reignited a fierce debate on the conversion issue.
Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin defended the conversion of Loh’s children, saying it was in line with the relevant enactment in Perlis that allows for unilateral conversions. Others raised the issue of the discrepancy between the English and Bahasa Malaysia (BM) versions of the Federal Constitution.
- More -