KUALA LUMPUR: A father who has been accused of abducting his three children and registering them as Muslim converts without his ex-wife's consent was fined RM20,000 by the High Court here today for contempt of court.
Judge Evrol Mariette Peters imposed the sentence on Muhammad Nagahswaran Muniandy, who is the former husband of Loh Siew Hong, and ordered him to pay the fine, in default of 14-day jail, within 14 days, starting today.
The judge said Muhammad Nagahswaran had interfered with the administration of justice.
She made the ruling after allowing Loh's application to initiate committal proceedings against Muhammad Nagahswaran.
In the application, Loh claimed that there was a court order that granted her sole custody over her three children - a pair of 15-year-old twin girls and an 11-year-old boy on March 31, 2021, which was violated by her ex-husband.
Peters, in her judgment, said the respondent (Muhammad Nagahswaran) was well aware of what he had done and that he had failed to comply with the court order that the petitioner (Loh) was awarded sole guardianship custody of care and control of the children.
"And from the affidavits, the respondent had even involved family members in preventing the children from being returned to the petitioner," she said.
The judge said in the present case, the respondent's conduct in not complying with the court order had triggered a chain of events, which not only gave the petitioner a runaround, going through the courts and filing numerous applications, just to reunite with the children.
"It had also deprived the children of their mother after being passed around from one person to another. The petitioner was left in limbo," Peters said.
The judge also pointed out that the court must fulfil its responsibilities by passing an appropriate sentence to reflect the extreme seriousness of the case, in particular, the respondent's interference with the administration of justice.
The court ordered the respondent to pay RM6,000 in costs.
Loh and her ex-husband, both aged 36, were seen seated far from each other in the public gallery during the open court proceedings.
The single mother was represented by counsel J. Gunamalar, while M. Vhimall acted for Muhammad Nagahswaran.
Meanwhile, lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla representing the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPs) told the court that they had submitted an application for the judge to recuse herself from hearing MAIPs' application to amend the custody order awarded to Loh.
The application was filed after the Court of Appeal allowed MAIPs' appeal to intervene in the custody order granted to Loh.
On June 15 last year, Peters dismissed MAIPs' application to intervene after finding that MAIPs had failed to show that it was an interested party in relation to the children.
On Feb 21 the same year, the three siblings, who were placed under the care of the Social Welfare Department, were released to Loh after the High Court allowed her habeas corpus application.
Loh has also filed a judicial review application to challenge her children's conversion to Islam which she claimed was done by her ex-husband without her consent. The High Court has set to deliver its decision on May 11.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Wed Apr 05 2023
Muhammad Nagahswaran who has been accused of abducting his three children and registering them as Muslim converts without his ex-wife's consent was fined RM20,000 by the High Court here today for contempt of court. - PEXELS
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Pengundi tentukan kemenangan, bukan Tun M - Azmin
Kemenangan DAP dalam PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu hanya akan ditentukan oleh pengundi dan bukannya bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Calon PN sah miliki Sarjana Eksekutif UMPSA
Calon Perikatan Nasional (PN), Khairul Azhari Saut, 54, disahkan memiliki Sarjana Eksekutif Pengurusan Perniagaan dari Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA).
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Calon PN tunjuk bukti kelayakan akademik
Calon Perikatan Nasional (PN) bagi Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Kuala Kubu Baharu, Khairul Azhari Saut menunjukkan bukti berkaitan kelayakan akademiknya bagi menjawab isu berkenaan.
Enakmen kawalan hiburan baharu, Kelantan yakin tidak bercanggah
Kerajaan Kelantan yakin proses penggubalan Enakmen Kawalan Hiburan baharu Kelantan yang akan dibentang pada sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) selepas ini tidak bercanggah dengan aturan sedia ada.
Misi teroka peluang ekonomi, tarik pelaburan baharu di WEF - PM
Delegasi Malaysia akan berkongsi dasar dan hala tuju negara di samping mempertegas pendirian negara dalam isu geopolitik serantau di hadapan pemimpin dunia.
JBPM Terengganu berdepan kesukaran padam kebakaran
JBPM Terengganu menghadapi kesukaran memadamkan kebakaran di Kampung Sungai Ikan Kuala Nerus yang melibatkan lebih 75% tapak pelupusan sampah
Polis jangka laporan baharu selepas berkas guru tahfiz
Polis Kelantan menjangkakan lebih banyak laporan polis berkenaan pencabulan di sebuah pusat tahfiz di Machang selepas penahanan seorang guru.
Polis Jerman rampas 4 kereta Bugatti Veyron edisi terhad yang dikaitkan dengan 1MDB
Kenderaan berkenaan dikatakan sebahagian daripada siri "Legenda" khas Bugatti Veyron, dengan hanya 18 daripada supercar tersebut dibina dalam enam spesifikasi.
Gempa kuat 6.5 skala Richter gegar Garut, impak dirasai hingga Jakarta
Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG) Indonesia merekodkan gempa berkekuatan 6.5 skala Richter pada malam Sabtu.
EPL: Jika saya bercakap akan berlaku pergaduhan - Salah
Salah sangat tegang dengan Klopp ketika dia bersedia untuk masuk sebagai pemain gantian pada minit ke-79.
Wanita peroleh kebenaran mulakan prosiding komital terhadap bekas suami
Loh Siew Hong memperoleh kebenaran Mahkamah Tinggi untuk memulakan prosiding komital terhadap bekas suaminya Muhammad Nagahswaran Muniandy.