Court allows mother’s appeal, rules children’s unilateral conversion unlawful

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has set aside the unilateral conversion of single mother Loh Siew Hong’s (pix) three children to Islam after ruling that the unilateral conversion by her ex-husband is unlawful.

In a unanimous decision, Justice Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail, who chaired the three-member bench, said on the issue of unilateral conversion, the court was bound by the decision of Indira Gandhi’s case which held that consent of both parents must be obtained before the minor children can be converted to other religion.\

“Therefore, we allowed the appeal by the applicant (Loh) and set aside the High Court’s decision,” said Justice Hadhariah, who sat with Justices Datuk Hashim Hamzah and Datuk Azhahari Kamal Ramli.

Justice Hadhariah also allowed the single mother judicial relief that, among others, declares that her three children are Hindus.

On May 11 last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh rejected Loh’s bid to challenge the unilateral conversion of her children to Islam after ruling that there was no evidence the three children had stopped professing the religion of Islam when they are under the care of their mother. -Bernama