The failure of S Kaliammal in her efforts to seek relief in the High Court to get the body of her husband for burial and being told there is no legal recourse to challenge decisions made by the Syariah Court proves that Dr Mahathir Mohamad was right about Malaysia being an Islamic state.

Others have suffered the same fate as Kaliammal when they tried to seek help from the courts when they tried to change their religion and seek relief from overzealous Syariah Court officials - even though the Malaysian constitution guarantees freedom of religion.

After all, in an Islamic state, Islamic law supercedes the constitution.