PAS’ warning against Loh Siew Hong over her legal action to nullify her three children’s unilateral Islamic conversion is a serious interference with the administration of justice, her lawyers contended.
In a media statement today, counsels from law firm Srimurugan & Co labelled the warning by the ruling political party as contempt of court.
Earlier today, several news portals carried a statement by PAS information chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin, who warned any party from trying to change the Islamic status of the three children of single mother Loh.
On Friday last week, Loh had filed a judicial review application to quash the Islamic conversion of her three children done by her ex-husband, Muslim convert Muhammad Nagahswaran Muniandy.
Loh’s lawyers today urged all parties to refrain from making any statements on the case as it might incite hatred and cause unnecessary tension among the various ethnic groups in Malaysia.
“We are of the view that any form of threat, expressly or impliedly, or even a warning, discouraging a litigant from pursuing his or her legal right in court, amounts to serious interference with the administration of justice and constitutes criminal contempt of court.
“We condemn any form of intimidation, pressure, or smear campaign against Madam Loh Siew Hong,” her lawyers said.
Her counsels said that while they respect the freedom of speech and expression of every citizen in the country, they urged religious figures not to produce any more videos or make any further comments pertaining to the case or against Loh.
Her lawyers said this is because the matter is already pending before the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
“We hope that this case will not be politicized and the legal process be allowed to take its own course.
“We believe in the legal process and we place our trust in the judiciary to resolve the dispute between the parties amicably,” her counsel said.
Loh’s lawyer Shamsher Singh Thind reportedly said that the judicial review was necessitated by the Religious and Malay Customs Council of Perlis (Maips) recently having filed to intervene in the divorce proceedings between Loh and Nagahswaran.
It was reported that Maips sought to be made a party in the civil court divorce proceedings so that they can apply for a court order to enable the council to safeguard the Islamic education of Loh’s three children.
On Feb 21, Loh was reunited with her three children when the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted her habeas corpus application.
The habeas corpus bid had targeted the Social Welfare Department and an Islamic teacher who took care of the children at one point.
Nagahswaran, who is in jail on drug-related charges, had unilaterally converted the children to Islam without Loh’s knowledge and consent.
The single mother obtained full custody of the children in December last year. – Malaysiakini
Earlier report:
Mar 25, Loh files to nullify children’s unilateral Islamic conversion