Secret conversion: Court orders preacher to take down TikTok video

Several non-Muslim parents obtained an interim court order today for preacher Firdaus Wong to take down a TikTok video containing alleged advice for secret underage conversion.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed the eight plaintiffs' application for an ex-parte (proceedings without the defendant's presence) injunction to maintain the status quo in the ongoing lawsuit.

The parents' counsel M Visvanathan confirmed with Malaysiakini that judge Amarjeet Singh issued the order this morning.

The lawyer said the plaintiffs are now in the process of serving a copy of today's restraining order on Firdaus (above).

"The (civil) court has set Oct 17 for inter parte hearing," Visvanathan said, referring to proceedings where Firdaus would get a chance to argue against the injunction.

The court has yet to set a full hearing of the merits of the originating summons, which was filed on July 18.

According to a copy of the supporting affidavit, one concerned parent said they were worried and afraid to send their children to school.

"I emphasise that this is due to the risk of our underaged children's religion being changed without our knowledge as parents of non-Muslim underaged children," the parent said in the affidavit sighted by Malaysiakini.

The parent contended that failure to prevent such secret conversion could endanger their children physically and mentally.

They claimed that such covert proselytisation could jeopardise the country's peace and harmony, ripping the fabric of unity among Malaysians.

Via the lawsuit, the parents are seeking an injunction to prevent Firdaus from proselytising or advising underaged non-Muslim children to change their faith.

The plaintiffs also seek a court order to compel the defendant to remove the controversial TikTok video.

Controversial video

In June, Firdaus allegedly uploaded a video on TikTok showing him advising a man on how to handle requests to convert to Islam from some teenagers.

The online video purportedly showed the controversial preacher engaged in a question-and-answer session at an event.

For the record, there was a misconception linking the Q&A session to Firdaus advising a teacher, which raised concerns among non-Muslims about their teenage children in national schools, leading to calls to bar the preacher from entering schools.

However, the Q&A session did not involve a teacher but rather a writer and TikTok influencer.

Firdaus was allegedly asked what should be done when underage non-Muslim teenagers want to convert to Islam.

Firdaus purportedly said that teenagers should be welcomed to convert to Islam, but their conversions cannot be registered or announced.

He also allegedly shared advice on how these teenagers can practise Islam secretly so they can conceal it from others.

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