Unilateral child conversion laws in six states stand as High Court dismisses challenge by Indira Gandhi, 13 others

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — The High Court today dismissed a challenge by Ipoh mother M. Indira Gandhi and 13 others against state laws that allow children under age 18 to be converted to Islam without both parents’ consent.

Court of Appeal judge Datuk Aliza Sulaiman, who was a High Court judge when this case was heard, said that all 14 of them had failed to show they have locus standi, meaning the legal standing, to pursue this court challenge.

The judge also said they had failed to show that they have a “real or genuine interest”.

But as this court challenge was filed as a public interest matter, the judge did not order Indira and the 13 others to pay for legal costs.

Indira and the 13 others had wanted the courts to declare that the practice of unilateral conversion is unconstitutional, and to declare that provisions in several state laws allowing unilateral conversion to Islam are invalid or have no legal effect.

To be precise, their challenge were against provisions in six state laws in six states (Perlis, Kedah, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Perak and Johor) and a similar law for the Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan), which allowed those under age 18 to be converted to Islam with just one parent’s consent.

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