Muslim convert fails in bid to return to Christianity
Published on: Fri, May 16, 2025
By: Ho Kit Yen, FMT Text Size: The Court of Appeal today reaffirmed that shariah courts have exclusive jurisdiction in cases involving the renunciation of Islam, and the civil courts cannot interfere. PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal here has dismissed a Muslim convert's attempt to renounce Islam and revert to his original faith of Christianity. Justice M Nantha Balan, who chaired a three-judge panel, held that the man's appeal had no merit.
Advertisement Sitting with him were Justices Nazlan Ghazali and Azmi Ariffin. The 47-year-old man married a Muslim woman in 2010. However, they divorced five years later. In 2016, he filed an application in the shariah court to renounce Islam, but was ordered to attend 'counselling sessions' instead. The shariah court subsequently dismissed his renunciation application and ordered that he undergo further counselling sessions. The man's appeal to the shariah appeals court was also rejected. He then turned to the civil courts seeking to nullify the shariah court's decision, and sought a declaration that he is entitled to profess his original faith. His legal challenge was dismissed by the High Court in 2023. Nazlan, who read out the judgment today, said the civil court had no jurisdiction to hear cases from the shariah courts. 'This is not a case of him never being a Muslim but a renunciation (of Islam). 'We affirm that shariah courts have the exclusive jurisdiction to hear these cases and civil courts cannot interfere,' he added. The court also noted that the shariah court had dismissed the man's application to renounce Islam on grounds that the evidence presented was 'insufficient'. 'He can apply again before the shariah court,' Nazlan said, noting that there had been cases of successful renunciations. The court made no order as to costs. The man was represented by lawyers Iqbal Harith Liang and Firdaus Danial Tan, while senior federal counsel Idayu Amir appeared for the federal government. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Myanmar military recaptures strategic town from rebels after a year, government says
In this image released on July 16, 2025, by The Myanmar Military True News Information Team, soldiers are seen celebrating a victory at one of the captured outposts in Nawnghkio, a township that the Ta'ang National Liberation Army controlled for over a year, in northern part of Shan state, Myanmar. -- The Myanmar Military True News Information Team via AP BANGKOK (AP): Myanmar's military has recaptured a strategic gateway town from rebel forces after nearly a year, state-media reported on Friday marking a rare turnaround in the country's northeast, where an alliance of ethnic militias seized a large swath of territory in an offensive that began in late 2023. Nawnghkio, which sits on a major highway trading route linking central Myanmar to China, had been under the control of the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, a group in the Three Brotherhood Alliance, since July last year. Its recapture by the army comes after a long period where the military government had been seen as being on the defensive against an array of rebel forces in the civil war that is being fought over much of the country. Nawnghkio, which also stands on the highway leading to the major military garrison town of Pyin Oo Lwin, was completely captured by the army at noon on Wednesday after nearly 11 months of operations to retake the town, according to a state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper report on Thursday. After more than 500 armed engagements, including 20 major clashes, the bodies of 171 members of the TNLA and its allies were recovered and their ammunition supplies were captured, the report said, adding that the military was working to restore the town's administrative mechanisms, remove land mines and ensure the safe return of residents who had fled to avoid fighting. The newspaper also published photos of the soldiers who had recaptured the town in front of the government offices, hospitals, and markets. The Ta'ang National Liberation Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Restrictions on reporting make independent confirmation of the town's recapture virtually impossible, though the army's claim has not been challenged. However, in a statement posted Wednesday on the Telegram messaging app, the TNLA said it had moved the group's civil administration and service offices in Nawnghkio to safe locations as the military's intensive offensive operations in the past few months made it difficult to carry out work. The groups in the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which also include the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army, have been fighting for decades for greater autonomy from Myanmar's central government and are loosely allied with the People's Defense Force, the pro-democracy resistance that emerged to fight military rule after the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. Since October 2023, the alliance members captured and controlled significant swaths of territory in northeastern Myanmar near the Chinese border and in western Myanmar. Their victories were seen as forcing the army to go on the defensive over most of the country, while boosting the morale and strategic position of resistance forces. The recapture of Nawnghkio comes more than two months after the TNLA rejected the military's demands to withdraw from five towns controlled by the group, including Nawnghkio, during talks brokered by China in the Chinese city of Kunming in late April. China tries to maintain good relations with both the military government and the groups making up the Three Brotherhood Alliance, but fears that the aggressive posture of the rebel groups destabilizes Myanmar, which is a key Southeast Asian ally of Beijing with large strategic Chinese investments in minerals, energy and infrastructure. Nawnghkio's recapture also comes just more than a week after the military claimed to take back the strategic town of Mobye in southern Shan state, which had been seized since late 2023 by another alliance of ethnic armed organizations in the eastern state of Kayah, also known as Karenni. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army's 2021 takeover, which led to nationwide peaceful protests that escalated into armed resistance and what now amounts to civil war. Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the opposition's National Unity Government, which coordinates resistance to army rule, told The Associated Press last Friday that the military regime has been trying to retake areas controlled by the resistance ahead of a general election planned for later this year. The poll is widely seen as an attempt to normalise the military's seizure of power through the ballot box and to deliver a result that ensures the generals retain control. - AP
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Russia's Medvedev says Moscow will withstand new EU sanctions, escalate strikes on Ukraine
FILE PHOTO: Dmitry Medvedev attends a meeting of the Council for Science and Education at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in the Moscow region's city of Dubna, Russia June 13, 2024. Sputnik/Alexei Maishev/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo MOSCOW (Reuters) -Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday predicted the Russian economy would withstand the European Union's latest sanctions package and said Moscow would intensify its strikes against Ukraine. Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, made his comments after the European Union agreed an 18th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, including measures aimed at dealing further blows to the Russian oil and energy industry. In a post on his official Telegram channel, Medvedev said the new sanctions would do little to alter Russia's stance on the conflict, just as previous rounds of sanctions had failed to make an impact. Medvedev, who has emerged as one of the Kremlin's top hawks, said Russia planned to intensify its strikes on Ukraine. "Strikes against targets in so-called Ukraine, including Kyiv, will be carried out with increasing force", Medvedev said. U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday announced a toughened stance against Russia, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry, including Patriot missile defence systems capable of destroying Russian ballistic missiles. He also gave Russia 50 days to sign up to a ceasefire or face new sanctions. (Reporting by ReutersWriting by Maxim RodionovEditing by Andrew Osborn)
Daily Express
9 hours ago
- Daily Express
Bobby entitled to state security, says minister
Published on: Friday, July 18, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jul 18, 2025 Text Size: As the president's property, Bobby is entitled to state protection, similar to other presidential assets like residences, says an Indonesian minister. JAKARTA: Indonesia's Deputy State Secretary has defended the provision of state facilities for President Prabowo Subianto's pet cat, Bobby Kertanegara, after a video of the feline receiving VIP treatment sparked online debate. Juri Ardiantoro said Bobby, as the president's property, was entitled to state protection, similar to other presidential assets like residences. Advertisement He questioned the public outcry, asking why security for the president's cat should be treated differently from that for his home. The viral video showed Bobby being pushed in a stroller and escorted by police at the Cat Lovers Social Day 2025 in Jakarta, drawing mixed reactions online. Critics argued the use of public resources was excessive, while others praised Bobby's role in spreading joy and advocating for animal welfare. A researcher from the Yusof Ishak Institute said the special treatment was unjustified and warned against creating a cult-like image of the presidency. Some Indonesians raised concerns about state spending on pets amid economic hardship, noting high rates of poverty and unemployment in the country. Despite the backlash, examples of official pets receiving attention are common globally, including Britain's Larry the cat and pets of former South Korean leaders. Bobby, a rescue cat adopted by Prabowo nearly a decade ago, has become a diplomatic figure, even receiving gifts from visiting leaders such as Australia's Prime Minister. With nearly a million Instagram followers, Bobby continues to charm supporters both in Indonesia and abroad. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
