S. Deepa speaks to members of the media at the Federal Court in Putrajaya. — file picture
S. Deepa speaks to members of the media at the Federal Court in Putrajaya. — file picture

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 — S. Deepa’s eight-year-old son may have been pressured into choosing to be with his father instead of his mother when he met with Federal Court judges yesterday during his parents’ interfaith custody hearing, Wanita MCA suggested.

Wing chief Datuk Heng Seai Kie said in a statement that given the long, drawn-out process of the custody proceedings that started back in 2012, it was possible that Nabil, formerly Mithran before his conversion, had been “coached/threatened”.

“No doubt Mithran may have expressed that he wants to be with his father.

“In view of the lengthy trial and long separation of the son from the mother, the possibility that he expressed thus (sic) out of fear in the presence of strangers with immense authority, coached/ threatened into saying so are not ruled out,” she said.

Advertisement

But despite this, Heng said that both parents should now adhere to the Federal Court’s decision.

She noted that the court had granted Deepa access to her son and said the Hindu mother and her ex-husband should abide by the ruling to “avoid further dispute”.

“The party who defies the court order on access rights may be cited for contempt in future,” she said.

Advertisement

Heng, who is also the Prime Minister Department’s Adviser on National Unity & Integration, added that she also agreed with the apex court’s decision to split custody of the children, as well as its ruling that the Shariah court does not have jurisdiction in matters involving civil marriages.

She said, however, that amendments to existing laws were still necessary to prevent the recurrence of cases involving unilateral conversions. 

“Wanita MCA hopes that this is the last case of its kind.

“To solve this issue, it is our fervent hope that the Attorney-General’s Chambers will gear up the amendment process on all the relevant laws proposed by Wanita MCA in respect of unilateral conversion, divorce and its ancillary reliefs,” she said.

The Federal Court yesterday divided the custody of Mithran and Sharmila, formerly Nurul Nabila, handing the son to his Muslim convert father Izwan Abdullah and the daughter to Deepa.

A five-man bench comprising Tan Sri Raus Sharif, Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, Tan Sri Abdull Hamid Embong, Tan Sri Suriyadi Halim Omar and Datuk Seri Azahar Mohamed reached the decision after interviewing the children in chambers at the start of the case.

The court also ruled that matters involving custody or divorce in civil marriages should only be handled by the Civil Courts and not the Shariah Court, unless both husband and wife are Muslims.