Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan, who is representing the 34-year-old woman, told FMT that five officers from a district religious department had gone to her house at around 3pm.

They then allegedly reprimanded the woman for not wearing her headscarf before berating her for suing the state.

They also allegedly questioned her three children, all of whom were below the age of 10.

FMT is withholding the woman’s identity and other details to protect her from further repercussions.

Rajesh said he would be lodging a police report for criminal intimidation of a witness.

“She was left shaken by the episode. She was trembling when she spoke to me.”

Rajesh said the religious authorities had “impeded the course of justice” by harassing his client outside of court.

“We will also be filing a motion for contempt of court against the religious department and state government.”

Earlier this month, the woman, along with M Indira Gandhi – a Hindu mother, whose three children were unilaterally converted by her ex-husband – sought to nullify laws permitting unilateral conversions in eight states in Malaysia.

The originating summons was filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on March 3.

The Federal Court had in 2018 nullified the unilateral conversion of Indira’s three children. Despite the ruling, some states are still practising unilateral conversion in line with their state enactments.