LOH Siew Hong, whose children were unilaterally converted to Islam by her ex-husband, has filed an appeal to set aside last week’s High Court ruling that her children were still Muslims.  

Her lawyer, A Srimurugan, said the notice of appeal was filed in the High Court registry this morning. 

“I will also be writing to the secretary of the High Court judge for the full written grounds to be made available,” he said as reported by FMT. 

According to Srimurugan, this is to enable the filing of a memorandum of appeal, which will identify where the judge erred in his decision. 

Last week, Justice Wan Farid Wan Salleh dismissed the single mother’s judicial review application, saying there was no evidence the three children had stopped professing Islam even after she had gained custody of them. 

Wan Farid said he found that there was no dispute that certificates of conversion were issued to the children. 

He said the certificates were issued after the Perlis state registrar of converts was satisfied that the legal requirements of Section 107(1) of the Perlis 2006 Enactment had been adhered to and that the children had professed the Syahadah proclamation willingly. 

Previously in March 2022, Loh filed the suit seeking a declaration that a provision in the state enactment that allows a parent to unilaterally convert minor children was unconstitutional. 

She also wanted a declaration that her twin daughters, aged 14, and son, aged 11, are still Hindus. 

Loh said her children were legally incapable of embracing Islam without her consent as they were minors. 

On February 21 last year, High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah allowed a habeas corpus application filed by Loh after she had failed to regain custody of her three children from preacher Nazirah Nanthakumari Abdullah. 

This followed a civil court order giving her custody, care, and control of her three children. 

Loh claimed she later came to know that her children had been placed under Nazirah’s care and alleged that Nazirah refused to let her meet them. – May 15, 2023.