Court allows Islamic council to block man's bid to leave Islam

PUTRAJAYA — The Court of Appeal has allowed the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) to proceed with striking out a man's legal bid to change his registered religion from Islam to Sikhism, dismissing his challenge to the council's authority in the matter.

The appellate court's decision upholds an earlier ruling that gave MAIWP leave to strike out the application, establishing that the council has standing to intervene in religious conversion cases within the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya.

The case centres on the legal framework governing religious conversion in Malaysia, where Islamic law and civil law intersect on matters of faith. The man's attempt to formally change his registered religion triggered MAIWP's opposition, leading to the legal dispute over jurisdiction and authority.

The ruling reinforces the position of Islamic religious authorities in Malaysia regarding conversions away from Islam, a sensitive issue that has generated debate over individual rights and religious institutional powers. The decision does not address the substantive merits of the man's conversion request but rather confirms the council's procedural right to contest the application.

Religious conversion matters in Malaysia fall under the jurisdiction of state Islamic religious councils, with the Federal Territories council handling cases in its three jurisdictions. The court's decision underscores the established legal hierarchy in such matters.