The Federal Court's decision on a pending appeal by kindergarten teacher M Indira Gandhi will determine how easily people can be converted to Islam without consent, a lawyer said.

Indira's lawyer, Aston Paiva, said her children had not been converted through proper channels, as the children did not recite the syahadah (proclamation of faith) before a registrar, and were not present when their father Mohd Ridhuan Abdullah registered the conversion.

Thus, he said, whether or not the apex court decides to uphold or quash the Court of Appeal's ruling that civil courts can't decide on conversion is very important.

"If the government accepts the fact that children (need not) be present to convert, then it means that any civil servant sitting in a government office can change your name, give you a new name and make you a Muslim.

"That will have a very a negative effect on Malaysia's religious relations and more importantly, the lives of these children," Aston said at a press conference on Indira's appeal in Kuala Lumpur today.

The Federal Court will decide next week whether or not to grant leave for the appeal on the unilateral conversion of Indira's three children by her ex-husband Ridhuan.

The apex court had earlier last month instructed inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar to arrest Ridhuan.

The court had found the committal order against him issued by the Ipoh High Court to be justified as he had failed to bring the youngest child to the jurisdiction of the court.

Police have failed to locate him, however, as Ridhuan’s current whereabouts are purportedly unknown.

Eight years ago, Indira and Ridhuan’s children – then aged 12 years old, 11 years old and 11 months old – were converted without their presence and without Indira’s knowledge.

Indira has not seen the youngest child, Prasana Diksa, since then.