By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |
A Malaysian court has set Oct 24 to deliver its decision on an application by the government and the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) to strike out a legal challenge filed by a man, who claims to be a Sikh, over his religious status.
High Court judge Aliza Sulaiman fixed the date after hearing submissions from all parties on Tuesday (October 14).
The applicant, Shehzad Malik Muhammad Sarwar Malik, 29, is seeking a declaration that he has always been a practising Sikh and never willingly professed Islam, reported English newspaper The Star.
Lawyers Ahmad Kamal Abu Bakar and Arik Zakri Abdul Kadir, representing MAIWP, argued that the matter concerns renunciation of Islam and therefore falls under the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court.
“This is not a case of child conversion but of renunciation,” Ahmad Kamal submitted, noting that Shehzad Malik was born a Muslim to Muslim parents and that his father is from Pakistan. “Therefore, it falls within the jurisdiction of the Syariah courts.”
He added that a Muslim mother “cannot convert her Muslim baby into Sikhism” and that the civil court has no authority to hear the case, the report added.
Senior Federal Counsel Zairani Tugiran, appearing for the government, said Shehzad himself had indicated he was a Muslim when applying for his national identification card.
However, Shehzad’s lawyer Rajesh Nadarajan contended that the case should not be summarily struck out, as there were substantive issues that required the civil court’s determination.
He argued that Shehzad had been raised as a Sikh by his mother and later by his uncle following her death in 2007. “This is an ab-initio case — the applicant was never a Muslim to begin with,” he said.
RELATED STORY:
Conversion ruling in Malaysian court affects all, Sikhs included (Asia Samachar, 6 Jan 2016)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
