PETALING JAYA: PAS has proposed a constitutional amendment to allow shariah courts to have judicial review powers for cases involving religious conversions.
In a statement, the party’s Ulama wing also called on religious authorities in all states to amend the terms for conversions, so that children can be converted unilaterally rather than requiring the consent of both parents, which is the practice in some states.
This comes after the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision on single mother Loh Siew Hong’s case.
Loh’s three children were converted to Islam without her permission. Yesterday, the court ordered that the children be returned to her, in accordance with a previous court order granting her custodial rights following her divorce from her husband.
The Ulama wing also urged all parties to respect the choice made by the children to remain Muslims.
“Stop making accusations that they were forced to convert to Islam when it was done with their father’s consent,” it said.
“We are pushing the government and other parties to prioritise the interests of the children who have chosen Islam so that they would not be proselytised.
“We do not want the long-preserved religious harmony in this country to be jeopardised by such matters.”
The Ulama wing also proposed the creation of a religious mediation committee to ensure that the welfare of Muslim children under the care of non-Muslim parents and guardians was given paramount consideration.
We are live on Telegram, subscribe here for breaking news and the latest announcements.