Cover image via Malaysiakini
A 21-year-old Sabahan woman's conversion to Islam on 11 June, 2020, has been declared invalid by the High Court in Penang
According to FMT, the woman, a member of the Murut ethnic group, had previously converted to Islam due to her relationship with a Muslim man who had promised to marry her.
However, after her conversion at the office of the Islamic Propagation Society International in Penang, the two parted ways just a few months later.
Her lawyer, Shamsher Singh Thind, confirmed that the Penang High Court granted her judicial review application.
Image via George Town World Heritage Incorporated
She argued in court that her conversion to Islam at the age of 17 was invalid because it was done without the consent of her parents
The woman explained that she had agreed to register as a muallaf only because her then-boyfriend had told her that it was necessary for their marriage to be legitimate.
"I confirm that following the breaking off of relations with my boyfriend, and until 25 April, 2023, I tried several times to cancel my registration as a muallaf but was informed by several syarie lawyers that this was impossible.
"This was because Section 113(1) of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Penang) Enactment 2004 acknowledges me as a Muslim forever," said the woman.
