Mufti: Loh's children don't want to return to their mum
“We have no issues if the children said ‘we want to go back to our mother’, we would let them.
“But the problem is, the kids do not want to. We are not...
Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said there would be no issue if Loh Siew Hong’s three children wanted to return to their mother, but he said the children are unwilling to do so.
“We have no issues if the children said ‘we want to go back to our mother’, we would let them.
“But the problem is, the kids do not want to. We are not holding them because that is not within our powers, but they (the children) told us to help defend them, that they want Islam, they want to go to a religious school,” Asri said in a video live-streamed on Facebook yesterday.
Previously, single mother Loh was briefly reunited with her three children – a pair of 14-year-old twins and a 10-year-old – after her then-husband Nagahswaran Muniandy took them away and unilaterally converted them to Islam three years ago.
The children were then placed in the care of the Perlis Welfare Department pending the outcome of a habeas corpus application set for Feb 21 at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Describing his first meeting with Loh’s children, Asri said that they stressed they willingly joined Islam without being forced by anyone.
“These children have been given to other Muslim parties, their mother did not show up and the Muslim parties in Penang had taken care of these children at the religious studies centre.
“I met them… they told me they wanted Islam before their father wanted Islam,” he said.
Loh and her husband Nagahswaran separated in March 2019 and subsequently, her children were taken from her.
It was reported that Nagahswaran abducted the three children in Loh’s absence to be converted to Islam and placed them in an Islamic centre in Perlis. He is now in prison for a drug-related offence.
‘Why play racial issue?’
Asri also questioned Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy who issued a statement claiming the children were abducted and forced to convert.
“Why do they want to play up a racial issue?
“And Ramasamy… reading his statements truly makes my heart ache.
“Whatever his thoughts on living in a Muslim-majority country, his methods, language, speech and attitude show his hostility to the Muslim society,” Asri said.
The mufti added that Ramasamy and others are welcome to contact him to get further information on this matter before making accusations.
Asri also responded to those referring to an age threshold to change one’s religion, explaining that someone is officially Muslim after reciting two declarations of faith.
“Once someone recited two declarations of faith, on our part they are Muslim. We registered (them) because the father said he allowed it and the father said the mother had disappeared at that point.
“The issue is, on our side, someone who has reached the age of discernment and has recited two declarations of faith, is Muslim. The issue of registering or not is another story.
“At 18 years old, they can make their official decisions but no one is forcing them,” he said.
Related story:
Penang Mufti wants separated children to see parents as often as possible
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