Woman Raised By Her Buddhist Mother Lost Her Appeal To Be Declared Non-Muslim
Rosliza, who has practiced Buddhism all her life, has no personal connection to the religion of Islam.
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 26 Apr 2018, 05:17 PM
Yesterday, 25 April, the daughter of a Muslim man and Buddhist woman lost her appeal to be declared a non-Muslim
In the Court of Appeal proceedings, it was unanimously held that Rosliza Ibrahim was born a Muslim and that only the Syariah Courts had the power to decide on her application for a declaration that she was no longer a Muslim.
The court was presided by Justice Umi Kalthum alongside Justices Vernon Ong Lam Kiat and Suraya Othman, reported The Star.
The ruling was made despite Rosliza's counsel arguing that there is no evidence of a valid marriage between her parents or that her mother had converted to Islam
In 2016, Rosliza had even obtained confirmation from religious authorities of the Federal Territories, Selangor, and 10 other states in Malaysia that there were no records of her mother converting or of a Muslim marriage between her parents.
Additionally, she also received confirmation from the Immigration Department that her mother did not have a passport, proving that she could not have possibly married overseas.
In yesterday's proceedings, the Court of Appeal ruled that there was no error made by the Shah Alam High Court in 2016, which rejected Rosliza's bid on the basis that her parents could have married but simply not have registered the marriage, reported The Star.
Rosliza, who has practiced Buddhism all her life, has no personal connection to the religion of Islam
"She was raised a Buddhist by her mother, she continues to profess Buddhism until this day and wants to continue living her life peacefully as a Buddhist in Malaysia," said Rosliza's lawyer Aston Paiva, according to a report by Free Malaysia Today.
Selangor legal adviser Nik Suhaimi Nik Sulaiman justified the Court of Appeal ruling by pointing out that Rosliza is considered a Muslim based on what is stated on her identity card
He suggested that if Rosliza intends to proceed with her efforts to obtain a declaration that she is non-Muslim, she should do so at the Syariah Courts.
