THE Court of Appeal has fixed February 7, next year to hear Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council’s (Maips) appeal against a High Court decision to reject its bid to intervene in divorce proceedings involving single mother Loh Siew Hong and her Muslim convert ex-husband, Muhammad Nagahswaran Muniandy.

Maips is seeking to intervene in the divorce proceedings for the purpose of varying a custody order given to Loh to enable the council to provide Islamic education and training and tithes to her three children who were converted to Islam by their father.

Dr Shamsher Singh Thind, one of Loh’s lawyers, when contacted, confirmed the hearing date for the appeal following a case management before deputy registrar, Norshakinah Ahmad Kamarudin, today.

“Today’s case management is to inform parties that the Court of Appeal is available to hear the appeal in November and December. But the dates proposed are not suitable for all parties. So, the original date is retained,” he said.

On June 15, High Court judge Evrol Mariette Peters dismissed Maips’ application to intervene in the divorce proceedings after finding that the body had failed to show that it was an interested party in relation to the children.

Maips filed the intervention application on March 7 to enable the religious authority to have the locus standi to apply to vary the terms of the custody order granted to Loh.

In the divorce petition, Loh, 34, had been granted sole custody, care and control over the three children.

On February 21, the three siblings, who were under the care of the Social Welfare Department, were released to Loh after the High Court allowed her habeas corpus application. – Bernama, September 27, 2022.