11/6/2024 Malaysia (International Christian Concern) — The government of the Malaysian state of Perlis has initiated legal proceedings to overturn a Federal Court decision that prevented the unilateral conversion of Loh Siew Hong’s three children to Islam.

Shamsher Singh Thind, a lawyer representing Loh, confirmed that the state government filed a notice of review on Nov. 28, 2023. A case management hearing is scheduled for Nov. 29 before Senior Assistant Registrar Wan Norazimin Kassin.
In its notice, the Perlis government argues that its right to be heard was compromised during the Federal Court proceedings, as its legal arguments were allegedly disregarded.

The Federal Court had previously upheld a 2018 ruling that deemed the unilateral conversion of minor children unconstitutional. In May 2023, the court rejected an attempt by the Perlis government and the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPs) to challenge this ruling.

Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat affirmed the principle that both parents must consent to the religious conversion of a minor child, as stipulated in Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution.

Loh Siew Hong’s children were unilaterally converted to Islam by her ex-husband, Muhammad Nagahswaran Muniandy, in 2020 in Perlis. She subsequently filed a legal challenge to the conversion, arguing that the relevant state law was unconstitutional.

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