Syariah Chief Justice Ibrahim Lembut is in full support for a hybrid tribunal to settle interfaith custody battles.

"I totally agree with this. That was our initial plan, for a civil judge and a syariah judge to sit on the same bench," Ibrahim said at a press conference today.

He was commenting on a proposal by the Muslim Lawyers Association, which also wants a Rulers Conference representative to sit in the tribunal.

This follows the Federal Court ruling on the S Deepa custody battle, which saw Deepa's children split between her and her Muslim ex-husband.

In the case, Deepa won custody of her daughter, while her son went to her former husband Izwan Abdullah.

The judges decided this after asking the children who they wished to live with.

Ibrahim, who is also the Syariah Judiciary Department director-general, said many are not aware that non-Muslims do get a say in Muslim courts.

He said often times when there is interfaith custody dispute, the court will summon the non-Muslim parents.

"But they don't show up," he said.

Ibrahim added that Islam gives priority to mothers, especially when the children are still being breastfed.

He added that even after a divorce, a father is still responsible towards his children.

"The father can't just abandon them like that," he said.