The family of a 71-year-old man who died of diabetes yesterday are now locked in a struggle with the Federal Territory Islamic Department (Jawi) over his remains.

The family of Rayappan Anthony claimed that the deceased was a Catholic all his life except for six years, when he had converted to Islam after marrying his second wife.

When met outside the Hospital Kuala Lumpur mortuary today, the family's lawyer A Sivanesan explained the details of the case.

He said Anthony had married his second wife in 1990 and his family knew about this. He had also left the family in order to be with his Muslim wife.

In 1996, the father of six returned to his first wife Lourdes Mary and entered a deed poll with the National Registration Department (NRD).

Family members who were at the mortuary showed reporters documents to prove that the deceased's name was changed from Muhammad Rayappan Abdullah to his original name and that he had returned to being a Catholic. The documents were signed in the presence of a Commissioner of Oaths.

"He had renounced Islam. He has been a practising Catholic since then and goes to church all the time," Sivanesan said.

"When he died, his family even got a priest to conduct prayers for him," he said, adding that his family was never in touch with his Muslim wife.

'Still a Muslim'

However, Jawi officers arrived at the hospital yesterday claiming that Anthony was still a Muslim and that he should be buried according to Islamic rites.

They showed the family members a card that certified he is a Muslim convert but this was only issued in 2005.

"How can that document prove he is a Muslim? Why didn't they issue the card when he converted?" Sivanesan asked.

He said the contentious issue now is whether the details found with the NRD prevails over his conversion to Islam or not.

"The NRD has to answer for this. If he is not allowed to convert out, they should've checked with Jawi first.

"By permitting him to be Catholic again and yet contest he is Muslim when he's dead is not fair to his family. You are denying them of their civil rights," he said.

Sivanesan ( right ) revealed that the hour-long meeting with officers from the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais), Jawi and Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) at the hospital this afternoon failed to reach any satisfactory conclusion.

"They said they will be going to the Syariah Court to decide on this tomorrow but they did not tell us where and what time," he said.

"Why must this be decided by the Syariah Court? This should fall under civil law under the jurisdiction of the civil court because he is not a practising Muslim," he added.

Religious department officers who attended the meeting left before the press could get their comments.

Anthony's case is the latest in a series of similar tussles.