Subashini matters

Subashini, her converted-to-Muslim husband, and their 2 kids (whose religions are in dispute)... are in the news again.

The Sun: http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=19371
Malaysiakini: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/72506

[Subashini's] argument would revolve around the jurisdictional issue between the civil and syariah courts. [T]hey would submit that the High Court, and not the syariah court, had the jurisdiction to decide on disputes involving non-Muslims.

Subashini is seeking a divorce from Saravanan, who had embraced Islam, custody of their two young sons and maintenance payments. She is also challenging his right to convert their first son without her consent.

The high court had earlier rejected her application for an injunction to restrain Saravanan from proceeding with his plans to annul their marriage and seek custody of the older child, as Saravanan had already filed a similar suit with the syariah court.

However, the high court granted her a temporary injunction pending her appeal to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal, in a majority decision on March 12, turned down her appeal for an injunction against her husband.

However, on March 30, another panel of judges gave her a temporary injunction pending the outcome of her leave application to the Federal Court. The Federal Court allowed the application and the appeal proper was briefly heard yesterday. It resumes tomorrow.

If you were in a vacuum of socio-political awareness for the last 6 month's or so, here's some background reading and how all this impacts the lives and loves of non-Muslims in Malaysia: - http://sean-the-man.blogspot.com/search?q=subashini

Read also: A Solution to the Article 11 Impasse on how religious conversions in Malaysia need to be tightened and restricted.