Cops question activist over video on unilateral conversion

Cops question activist over video on unilateral conversion


Bukit Aman has summoned activist and Indira Gandhi Action Team (Ingat) chairperson Arun Dorasamy this afternoon over a video he posted on social media, commenting on the religious status of Loh Siew Hong’s children.

In the video, which he posted to his personal Facebook account on Feb 25, Arun (above) said that Loh’s children were rightfully of the Hindu religion instead of Islam.

This is despite her then-husband unilaterally converting them three years ago.

“I am being accused of inciting and fake news spreading postings with the intent of causing public outrage and disturbance of public tranquillity. This is a clear breach of natural justice and my right under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution of freedom of speech.

“It is indeed sad and outrageous that my right to freedom of speech is being limited even though I am quoting the law and its position as interpreted by the honourable courts.

“It is also nonsensical that I am being investigated for disturbing the peace when I had specifically stated in my video that matters should be left to the honourable courts and not be politicised or racialised. Constitutional freedom must prevail,” Arun said in a statement.

Arun was questioned under Section 233 of the 1998 Communication and Multimedia Act for sharing offensive and menacing content and under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for statements conducive to public mischief.

This was confirmed by Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Abdul Jalil Hassan, who said that a police report was made on March 3 over the video.

‘Statements were true, factually accurate’

Arun said he was asked 27 questions during the time of questioning. His lawyer, Siti Kasim, was present.

The activist added that he stood by the contents in the video and has since reposted it on his Facebook.

“All statements made by myself are true, factually accurate and obtained from information readily available to the public.

“I merely stated the law and its current position as well as urged that no comment or attempt be made to politicise or racialise the situation faced by Loh,” he said.

Single mum Loh Siew Hong and her children


It is said that Loh's case is similar to M Indira Gandhi's, whose daughter Prasana Diksa was an infant when her father, Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, previously named K Pathmanathan, took her away in 2009 after converting to Islam.

Riduan and Indira were later engaged in a tightly watched interfaith custody battle after he unilaterally converted Prasana and their two children to Islam.

In 2018, the Federal Court unanimously ruled that unilateral religious conversions of children are unlawful as such decisions needed permission from both parents.

Arun has been incredibly vocal on the topic of unilateral conversion, blasting the government for its inaction on the matter since the 2018 landmark ruling.

The activist questioned why the government had failed to set up an agency to enforce the Federal Court order.

The Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Etiquette Council (Maips) has since applied to intervene in Loh’s divorce proceedings with Muslim convert Muhammad Nagahswaran Muniandy. The Kuala Lumpur High Court has set April 29 to hear their application.

It was previously reported that the state religious council sought this to safeguard the Islamic education of Loh's three children.

On Feb 21, the Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed Loh's habeas corpus application to be reunited with her three children.

Nagahswaran, who is in jail on drug-related charges, was alleged to have unilaterally converted the children to Islam without Loh's knowledge and consent.

The single mother obtained full custody of the children in December last year.

Loh is reportedly seeking to file a separate legal bid to nullify the unilateral conversion of her three children.