Penang High Court Declares Catholic Woman's Conversion To Islam In 2020 Invalid
The woman had previously converted to Islam due to her relationship with a Muslim man who had promised to marry her.
By Aqasha Nalani — 17 Apr 2024, 11:42 AM
A 21-year-old Sabahan woman's conversion to Islam on 11 June, 2020, has been declared invalid by the High Court in Penang
According to FMT, the woman, a member of the Murut ethnic group, had previously converted to Islam due to her relationship with a Muslim man who had promised to marry her.
However, after her conversion at the office of the Islamic Propagation Society International in Penang, the two parted ways just a few months later.
Her lawyer, Shamsher Singh Thind, confirmed that the Penang High Court granted her judicial review application.
She argued in court that her conversion to Islam at the age of 17 was invalid because it was done without the consent of her parents
The woman explained that she had agreed to register as a muallaf only because her then-boyfriend had told her that it was necessary for their marriage to be legitimate.
“I confirm that following the breaking off of relations with my boyfriend, and until 25 April, 2023, I tried several times to cancel my registration as a muallaf but was informed by several syarie lawyers that this was impossible.
"This was because Section 113(1) of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Penang) Enactment 2004 acknowledges me as a Muslim forever," said the woman.
The court ruled in her favour, stating that her conversion was invalid from the beginning as she was a minor at the time, and both parents' consent was required
Judge Quay Chew Soon, who presided over the case, also ordered the removal of her name and details from the registry of muallafs, affirming her status as a Catholic.
