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Firdaus Wong’s secret child conversion video unconstitutional, court rules
2 hours ago
V Anbalagan
The High Court orders the preacher to permanently remove the video and prohibits him from publishing similar videos or statements
Lawyer M Visvanathan explaining the outcome of the proceedings to three of the eight parents outside the High Court.
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has issued a ruling in favour of eight non-Muslim parents, declaring that a social media video post by preacher Firdaus Wong promoting covert underage religious conversions is unlawful and unconstitutional.
Justice Amarjeet Singh ordered Firdaus to permanently remove the video, and prohibited him from uploading videos or publishing statements of a similar nature.
The judge also ordered Firdaus to pay RM10,000 in costs to the parents.
In June last year, Firdaus posted the video of him giving a man instructions on how to handle requests from minors wishing to secretly convert to Islam.
Numerous police reports were lodged against the preacher after the video made its rounds on social media.
As a result, police opened a probe into the matter under Section 505(c) of the Penal Code for making statements conducive to public mischief.
The parents sought the declaration and injunction in a suit filed on July 18 last year.
Lawyer M Visvanathan, representing the parents, said he had submitted that the content of Firdaus’s video infringed Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution which states that a parent or guardian shall decide the religion of children under the age of 18. He said Firdaus had violated that right.
Visvanathan also submitted that a High Court has the power under Section 25 and the Second Schedule of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 to enforce the rights conferred by Part II of the constitution on any person.
Sanjay Nathan and Pushan Qin Nathan also appeared for the parents.
Lawyer Norazali Nordin, appearing for Firdaus, said he would take instructions from his client on whether to appeal today’s ruling.
Justice Amarjeet Singh ordered Firdaus to permanently remove the video, and prohibited him from uploading videos or publishing statements of a similar nature.
The judge also ordered Firdaus to pay RM10,000 in costs to the parents.
In June last year, Firdaus posted the video of him giving a man instructions on how to handle requests from minors wishing to secretly convert to Islam.
Numerous police reports were lodged against the preacher after the video made its rounds on social media.
As a result, police opened a probe into the matter under Section 505(c) of the Penal Code for making statements conducive to public mischief.
The parents sought the declaration and injunction in a suit filed on July 18 last year.
Lawyer M Visvanathan, representing the parents, said he had submitted that the content of Firdaus’s video infringed Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution which states that a parent or guardian shall decide the religion of children under the age of 18. He said Firdaus had violated that right.
Visvanathan also submitted that a High Court has the power under Section 25 and the Second Schedule of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 to enforce the rights conferred by Part II of the constitution on any person.
Sanjay Nathan and Pushan Qin Nathan also appeared for the parents.
Lawyer Norazali Nordin, appearing for Firdaus, said he would take instructions from his client on whether to appeal today’s ruling.
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