Cik Puan Elia Suhana Ahmad is still the lawful second wife of the former Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Ismail Petra, after the Syariah Court of Appeal in Kota Bharu rejected an application to validate the divorce pronouncement allegedly uttered by the former ruler against her.

A panel of judges - comprising State Syariah Court Chief Judge Daud Muhammad, Sultan Ismail Petra International Islamic College chief executive Dr Johari Mat and Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria - made the decision after the appellant, Nik Rorhana Wan Abdul Rahman, failed to turn up for the proceedings today.

The appellant was also without a lawyer after her counsel, Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar, informed the court through a letter three days ago that he had withdrawn from the case.

On Dec 5 last year, the Syariah High Court rejected the application to validate the divorce pronouncement filed by Nik Rorhana on March 9 the same year.

Nik Rorhana later appealed against the decision, which was rejected by the panel today.

        

NONE Sultan Ismail Petra, who was then the Sultan of Kelantan, was alleged to have pronounced the divorce on Elia Suhana on Feb 12 last year in front of several witnesses while he was undergoing treatment in Singapore.

When met outside the court, Elia Suhana ( right ) said she was grateful for the court’s decision.

“I can now focus my attention on my right to visit my husband,” she said.

On Feb 4 last year, the Syariah High Court allowed Elia Suhana to visit Sultan Ismail Petra but she was stopped by the Istana Mahkota palace authorities following the application for the validation of the divorce pronouncement.

- Bernama