Woman Who Converted To Islam For Marriage Appeals To Return To Christianity After Split Up
The 26-year-old woman converted to Islam on 18 August 2017.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 28 Jul 2023, 04:22 PM
A woman has filed for judicial review in an attempt to renounce Islam after her plan to marry her Muslim fiancé fell through
According to Free Malaysia Today, the 26-year-old woman converted to Islam on 18 August 2017 ahead of her marriage to her fiancé at the time, but the two split up without getting married.
The Sarawakian was registered as a muallaf (a person who has just converted to Islam) with the Registrar of Muallaf.
She then filed multiple appeals with the registrar through her lawyer on 30 January, 20 February, and 17 March this year to have her name removed, but the department refused to decide on her applications.
She described the rejection or delay in decision-making by the registrar as irrational and unreasonable.
Born to Christian parents, she also filed an appeal on 20 April and named the Federal Territories Registrar of Muallaf, the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council, and the government as respondents, reported New Straits Times.
She is now appealing for the Registrar of Muallaf to be given the power to declare that one is no longer a Muslim under the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) 1993 (Act 505).
It is understood that she intends to return to Christianity.
The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has since objected to the woman's appeal, saying the judicial review was not permissible according to Article 121 (1A) of the Federal Constitution
"The appeal is frivolous and inconvenient. It must be thrown out by the court," Mohammad Sallehuddin Md Ali, representing AGC, said in his argument before High Court judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Shahid on Wednesday, 26 July.
However, the woman's lawyer, Iqbal Harith Liang contended that the provision does not prevent the acceptance of her appeal.
"The obligation of the Registrar of Muallaf to declare an appellant as having left Islam is contained in Section 89 of the same Act.
"She is appealing for proceedings on the judicial review to be initiated," New Straits Times quoted Iqbal as saying.
After hearing from both parties, Ahmad Kamal fixed 21 September to deliver his decision.
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