KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has ruled that the civil court has no jurisdiction over matters involving persons seeking to renounce Islam as they come under the Syariah court.
Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid made the ruling on June 15 via email after dismissing a legal suit filed by a 32-year-old woman for leave to commence judicial review to renounce her faith from the religion of Islam to Confucianism and Buddhism.
In his written full grounds of judgment made available to the media today, Judge Ahmad Kamal said there have been many legal precedents concerning Article 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution by the courts in the last decades that the civil courts shall have no jurisdiction in respect of any matter within the jurisdiction of the Syariah Courts.
He said the crux of the present case is the application by the woman for judicial review against the Syariah Court's decisions which had rejected her request to renounce Islam.
The judge said the Syariah Court had done nothing wrong and not acted ultra virus in deciding the woman's application, and the orders were also not illegal and unlawful.
"To me, it does matter what the decision was, but the most important issue is that the civil courts have no jurisdiction to hear matters within the jurisdiction of the Syariah Courts, nor has it the power to review the Syariah Court's decision in cases involving the renunciation of Islam," he said.
The applicant, who was born to a Muslim convert father and a Muslim mother, cannot be named publicly due to a court order.
On March 4, she filed for judicial review in the civil High Court, naming the Syariah Court of Appeal, the Syariah High Court, the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) and the government of Malaysia as the four respondents.
The woman is seeking at least 12 court orders as part of her lawsuit, including declarations that the Syariah courts did not have the jurisdiction or power to declare that a person is no longer a Muslim.
She is also seeking a declaration from the civil High Court that she is no longer a Muslim and a declaration that she is entitled to profess her religion of Confucianism and Buddhism.
She is also asking the civil High Court to declare the decisions by Syariah High Court and Syariah Court of Appeal which rejected her bid to be recognised as no longer a Muslim, as illegal, unlawful and void.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Tue Jul 12 2022
The High Court has ruled that the civil court has no jurisdiction over matters involving persons seeking to renounce Islam as they come under the Syariah court. - File photo
PM Singapura mahu warga bersatu, kekalkan kestabilan politik dalam ucapan terakhir
Perdana Menteri Singapura Lee Hsien Loong menyeru rakyat Singapura supaya terus bersatu padu dan mengekalkan kestabilan politik bagi hala tuju Singapura ke hadapan.
Mei Xing hampa gagal sumbang mata buat Malaysia
Mei Xing tidak dapat menyembunyikan kesedihannya selepas gagal menyumbang mata kedua buat pasukan Malaysia ketika menentang Australia.
Profil Malaysia semakin meningkat di mata dunia - PM Anwar
Bukan ingin mendabik dada atau bersikap sombong, tetapi Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim melihat profil Malaysia kembali meningkat dan dihormati di mata dunia.
Kenaikan gaji penjawat awam tidak lagi pentingkan kelompok tertinggi seperti dahulu – PM Anwar
Kenaikan gaji penjawat awam melebihi 13 peratus, seperti yang diumumkan pada Hari Pekerja 2024, adalah berbeza dengan kenaikan yang pernah dilaksanakan dalam pentadbiran terdahulu.
AWANI 7:45 [01/05/2024] – Kos mencecah RM10 bilion | Gaji minimum beri impak positif | Seolah-olah dunia menghampakan
Kenaikan gaji penjawat awam lebih 13 peratus dibentang ketika Belanjawan 2025.
Kerajaan semak semula kadar gaji minimum.
Kusut, lesu dan kecewa dengan perkembangan di Gaza, ulas PM.
Protes pelajar universiti pro-Palestin di Amerika terus meningkat.
Kerajaan semak semula kadar gaji minimum.
Kusut, lesu dan kecewa dengan perkembangan di Gaza, ulas PM.
Protes pelajar universiti pro-Palestin di Amerika terus meningkat.
Ceroboh hutan Raub: Tindakan penguatkuasaan berdasarkan bukti - MB Pahang
Tindakan penguat kuasa menahan dua individu yang didakwa menceroboh kawasan hutan di Raub semalam dibuat berdasarkan bukti kukuh, kata Menteri Besar Pahang Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.
"Yang tak ambil gaji dikritik, yang mencuri tak salah"
Satu tahun setengah sebagai perdana menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ulangi tetap tegas tidak benar sebarang 'kecurian' atau 'kronisma' dalam kerajaan.
Isu Palestin: Ini soal prinsip dan nilai
Perdana menteri tegaskan walaupun berdepan kerugian, kerajaan Madani mahu memastikan keputusan yang diambil turut mengambil kira soal nilai dan prinsip.
Kedudukan, profil Malaysia tinggi di peringkat antarabangsa
Anwar akui antara kelemahan utama kerajaan adalah komunikasi sehingga rakyat tidak sedar reputasi tinggi negara di peringkat antarabangsa.
"Saya boleh terima kritikan tapi jangan fitnah"
Anwar kesal apabila masih dituduh tidak berbuat apa-apa sedangkan sudah banyak usaha dilaksanakan untuk rakyat.