DAP supremo and celebrated lawyer Karpal Singh plans to go to the High Court to seek freedom for a Muslim woman so that she could be reunited with her Hindu husband.

Raimah Bibi Noordin, 40, and five of her children were forcibly taken away by the Selangor religious department Jais two weeks ago after it was discovered that she was a Muslim.

On April 2, seven Jais officers went to the couple's house in Ulu Yam's Kampung Baru Tambahan - about 50km north of Kuala Lumpur - and told the husband, P Marimuthu, 44, that his wife of 21 years and their five children must be placed in a rehabilitation centre.

Raimah, her three daughters and two sons - Yogneswary, 12, Paramila, 11, Shamala, 5, Ravindran, 5, and Kuberan, 4 - were sent to live in the nearby Kampung Melayu Liga Emas, a Muslim populated area.

She said that her Muslim neighbours would keep an eye on her daily activities and prevent her from meeting any outsiders, particularly her husband.

The couple's eldest son, Hariharen, 8, who was staying with an uncle at that time of the Jais 'raid' has since returned to his father.

Unlawful detention

In a press statement today, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said party chairman Karpal would file a habeas corpus application so that the family could be reunited.

A habeas corpus application is a legal action in which detainees can seek freedom from unlawful imprisonment.

"It is most shocking that there is a lengthening list of cases of families being broken up by religious authorities like the case of Marimuthu in utter disregard of the sensitivities and rights of the multi-religious citizenry in the country," lamented Lim.

Last month, Revathi Masoosai, another practising Hindu, was taken to a rehabilitation centre by Malacca's Islamic authorities. Her 15-month-old daughter was handed over to Revathi's mother, who is a Muslim.

It is not clear what would happen when Revathi, who is married to a Hindu, completed her religious counselling. According to Revathi, she was raised as a Hindu by her grandmother and changed her name in 2001.

The religious authorities are believed to have learned of Revathi's case after she gave birth.

Convert to Islam

At a press conference in Parliament yesterday, Marimuthu, a rubber tapper, said that an 'ustaz' had told him to either convert to Islam or be charged for khalwat (close proximity) with Raimah.

Raimah, an Indian, is a practicing Hindu. She was once adopted by a Indian-Muslim family when she was small.

Her identity card had never indicated that she was a Muslim until she applied for her MyKad when her name was changed to Rahimah Bibi Noordin and identified as a Muslim.

Both Marimuthu and Raimah did not apply for correction with the National Registration Department, which issued the card. Meanwhile, the birth certificates of the couple's children indicate that Raimah is an Hindu Indian.

According to Marimuthu, both of them were practising Hindus and they had got married in a temple according to Hindu rites and all their children were brought up as Hindus.

It is believed that the authorities learnt about Raimah's 'religious status' when the couple enrolled their children into a school and copies of their identity cards were submitted to the Education Department.

Tearing a family apart

In his statement today, Lim quoted noted constitutional lawyer and human rights defender, Malik Imtiaz, who had made the following comments on the Marimuthu family tragedy in his blog, Disquiet .

"The law requires that the welfare of the children be the paramount consideration. The law also requires that all of us be treated equally. And yet, it would seem that those amongst us charged with the welfare of the nation and its citizens appear to think otherwise," said Malik

"What justifies tearing a family apart, separating children from their parents? Islam does not. The law does not.

"How can we even begin to understand the anguish of the father, the mother and the children? How can we even begin to understand that some believe that the law countenances, warrants, such cruelty?

"Someone has to be made accountable for this."