Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar’s husband Raja Ahmad Shahir Iskandar Raja Salim filed a review in the Syariah High Court in Kuala Lumpur today, challenging the findings of the conciliatory committee in the couple’s divorce proceedings.

The matter came up in the Syariah High Court today, the lawyer for Raja Ahmad Shahir, Azmi Md Rais, revealed.

However, in another development Nurul Izzah appointed a hakam for what is seemed to be the second stage for her divorce proceedings, following the findings made by the conciliatory committee.

A hakam acts as an arbitrator between the two where the wife would appoint one, and then the husband also appoints one. Nurul Izzah named Mohd Khairul Ahmad Jadi as her hakam.

The case has now been fixed on Jan 15 before the Lower Syariah Court, while Azmi said they will know by Wednesday on when Raja Ahmad Shahrir’s review application will be heard.

The couple has twice gone before the conciliatory committee, with officers appointed from the syariah court and representatives from Raja Ahmad Shahir and Nurul Izzah being appointed to be part of it.

Azmi appeared for Raja Ahmad Shahir while Normawaddah Ramli appeared for Nurul. Both Nurul and Raja Ahmad Shahir were present in court, initially for the mention on the custody of their children.

The case of divorce was also mentioned today, but only Nurul Izzah was present in court.

Both parties agreed that should divorce materialise, they would have joint custody of the two children, but they have yet to work out other terms should the separation be the result.

Nurul Izzah who is also a PKR vice-president, had filed for divorce from her husband of 10 years in December last year.

She has also filed a separate application for hadhanah or custody of the two children. The couple has a seven-year-old daughter and a five year-old son.

Raja Ahmad Shahrir did not want to utter the `talak' (proclamation of divorce), saying he still loved Nurul Izzah and their children.