Govt cannot interfere in Indira Gandhi’s case

Kamles Kumar Kamles Kumar Updated 5 years ago · Published on 24 Nov 2018 11:00AM · 4 Comments

M. Indira Gandhi wrote an open letter to the Pakatan Harapan government and inspector-general of police demanding that they observe the rule of law and find her former husband. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, November 23, 2018.

PUTRAJAYA cannot interfere in the search for Prasana Diksa, the nine-year-old girl who has been separated from her mother, M. Indira Gandhi, after a bitter custody battle, said the de facto law minister.

Liew Vui Keong said it should be Indira who must initiate legal proceedings against her former husband, Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, who allegedly has custody of their youngest child.

“This case, cannot really ask for the government to interfere because this is a litigation matter taken up by the mother against the ex-husband,” Liew told The Malaysian Insight.

Liew advised Indira to initiate contempt proceedings against her former husband, adding that he would discuss the matter with Attorney-General Tommy Thomas.

“I will have to ask the A-G on this issue. The decision made by the court was that custody of the child be given to the mother.

“If there is no compliance on that particular order, it would seem like a case of contempt of court,” he said.

Last week, Indira wrote an open letter, addressed to the new Pakatan Harapan government and Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun, asking them about their much-publicised rule of law.

She also asked why the rule of law was not observed in her case.

De facto Law Minister Liew Vui Keong says he will consult the attorney-general over the M. Indira Gandhi custody case. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Najjua Zulkefli, November 23, 2018.

Prasana was converted by Riduan when she was 11 months old in 2009. She has been with her father since March 2009, when he took her away and left Indira.

Matters got complicated when the shariah court granted custody of the couple’s three children to Riduan but the civil high court put them under Indira’s care.

Police did not act on an order by the Ipoh High Court in 2014 for Riduan to return Prasana and for police to track him down.

In September that year, the attorney-general, on behalf of the police, filed an appeal against the Ipoh High Court’s mandamus order for police to track Riduan down.

In 2016, the Federal Court ordered the then inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar to arrest Riduan for contempt of court. Khalid has since retired, and Riduan’s whereabouts are still unknown.  

In January this year, the Federal Court ruled the unilateral conversion of Indira’s three children to Islam was null and void.

Meanwhile, Human Resource Minister M. Kulasegaran who initially acted as Indira’s lawyer, said Fuzi should make it a priority to issue an order to find Riduan.

“The IGP himself can make an announcement what needs to been done. I urge the IGP in the new Malaysia to come out and explain,” Kulasegaran told The Malaysian Insight.

He added that he could no longer be directly involved in the matter now as he is a minister.

“I cannot be interfering because I’m no more a lawyer. I’m a minister. It would be very improper to interfere in another minister’s portfolio on what to do.” – November 23, 2018.

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Comments

  • What a crock of crap! What has happened to you, Kula, and other PH ministers? Rule of law, konon!! What about justice?? Where's your pair? When did you guys lose it? When PAS & UMNO fellas threatened on ICERD? The court has already decided la, Kula... since where did you lose your legal chops? Putrajaya is too comfy, that Indira no longer means anything?? Following the court directive, the cops were supposed to locate the children and bring back them back to the mother... Apa punya LAw Minister? Is this why Mahathir is upset - with these hp6 PH ministers?

    Posted 5 years ago by Rock Hensem · Reply

  • Zzzzzz

    Posted 5 years ago by Roti Paun · Reply

  • It is already a kidnapping case, why should she do a contempt case? What is police doing abt that

    Posted 5 years ago by Roti Paun · Reply

  • This Riduan character appears to be the most despicable species of opportunist as well as misogynist, someone entirely driven by his own ego more than love for his daughter. If I were Indira, I would feel massive anxiety about what such an unscrupulous man is capable of doing to a young girl under his control. Riduan totally deserves to be arrested on sight and released only if it is ascertained that no harm has befallen Prasana and he is willing to pay a lump sum to Indira towards her daughter's upkeep.

    Posted 5 years ago by Antares Maitreya · Reply