KUALA LUMPUR - Hindu mother M. Indira Gandhi said her younger daughter can remain a Muslim if she wants, despite a Federal Court ruling annulling the girl's unilateral conversion, the Malay Mail reported on Thursday (Feb 1).
In the landmark ruling on Monday, the country's highest court declared that the consent of both parents is needed to change a child's religion, voiding the unilateral conversion of their three children by her Muslim ex-husband.
The court also said the word "parent" in the Constitution cannot be read literally and referred to both parents where applicable, as "both parents have equal rights". Article 12(4) of the Constitution states that the religion of a person under the age of 18 years shall be decided by his parent or guardian.
On Wednesday, Indira responded to the Malaysian Association of Muslim Scholars' (PUM) call for the police to stop pursuing her fugitive ex-husband Mohd Riduan Abdullah to recover their daughter Prasana Diksa whom he abducted in 2009.
She told Malay Mail: "I don't mind what religion my Prasana chooses. She can remain a Muslim if she likes. All I want is to have her back in my arms. I don't know what she looks like now. Only the time she was a baby.
"Isn't this unfair to me as her mother? To have her taken away from me without my knowledge? Religion is her personal choice. I won't interfere or force. I only want my child back. Please don't use religion to separate us."
In a statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday, PUM had warned that religious strife may occur in Malaysia if the police continue to hunt for Riduan and Prasana.
PUM also said the three children unilaterally converted into Islam must not be allowed to revert back to Hinduism.
However, Indira's two older children have said they were firmly Hindu.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun on Thursday (Feb 1) warned all parties to be careful with their comments on the Federal Court decision, reported The Malaysian Insight.
"All parties have to be careful with their statements, and have to be responsible for them. Our country has laws," he said, without elaborating.
Fuzi had said police would track down Riduan and Prasana, and hand the child back to Indira.
