YOURSAY | ‘Justice has been done. Now IGP must show proof that justice is seen to be done.’

Federal Court orders Ridhuan's arrest over interfaith custody tussle

Anonymous_660: What a confusing series of decisions by the courts in Bolehland. Why has this taken so many years - nine years to be exact - for the Federal Court to make such a landmark ruling?

Now, many issues have to be clarified.

1) Can unilateral conversions be valid?

2) Can a child apply to convert?

3) What is the religious status of the converted child?

4) What is the finality of the decision in nullifying a civilian marriage of a convert? Is it through a civil court or through the Syariah Court?

5) Which one – civil or syariah - is the superior court?

6) What about alimony payment?

The Federal Court should give a ruling once and for all and the Parliament should codify it.

Worldly Wise: Justice has prevailed at last. It should not have taken so long.

Simple common sense says a committal order by the High Court must be complied with. Simple common sense says a child cannot be snatched from a mother.

Vent: Has justice prevailed? Perhaps we should be reminded that lawyer and Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran said in January this year that the government promised M Indira Gandhi via Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz that it would “do the necessary justice for her”.

So was this 'justice' the result of government intervention at a time when trust in it and support for it is at an abysmal low and that it coincides rather uncannily with the Sarawak election?

Whatever the back-story, the decision may only be a Pyrrhic victory for Indira. The child has been raised as a Muslim by Mohd Ridhwan Abdullah and it will be incumbent on her to raise the child as one in her own home as the ever-vigilant custodians of Islam out there will ensure, until another court decision squashes (if at all) the unilateral conversion.

And if the child is consulted on whom she wants to live with, chances are she will choose the father given that the mother is virtually a stranger to her. So we will have to wait to see if Indira ever receives the full justice she deserves.

Aries46: Inspector-general of police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar claims to be a fair person and we are bound to give him the benefit of doubt in this matter. This is the real test of his professionalism, if there is one. The trouble is he gets carried away with all the shiny buttons he carts around and is unable to see the fine line between his religious fervour and line of duty.

His conduct in the matter of the High Court ruling that was seen as defiant was so hurtful to the litigant, Indira, and annoying that many comments here appear to express doubt or question his integrity to enforce the High Court order now that he is compelled to do so by the highest court in the land.

The ball is in the IGP's court. We wait with bated breath.

Anonymous_1375701728: This remind me of a case in India where a child went missing and allegedly rogue police personnel said that they could not trace the whereabouts of the child. Some NGOs took the case before the court.

The presiding judge told the police to produce the child before him within a given time, failing which he was going to issue an order of contempt of court and have the police personnel arrested.

Lo and behold, the child was suddenly found. Maybe the Ipoh High Court should do the same as our law is based on the Indian Penal Code.

Pemerhati: The Ipoh High Court in May 2014 ruled that the High Court had a higher jurisdiction than the Syariah Court on the religious dispute of a spouse who does not convert to Islam.

It gave the convert father Ridhuan one week to return his six-year-old daughter to the non-Muslim mother, Indira Gandhi. The court also found the father guilty of contempt.

But the father did not comply with the order and the police refused to take any action on the matter.

In fact, IGP Khalid allegedly showed his contempt for the High Court order when about two weeks after the order was given, he defiantly announced that the police would take the middle route in handling conflicting jurisdictions between the syariah and civil courts in child custody battles.

The IGP is unlikely to have shown such contempt for the court if he did not allegedly have strong backing from Umno. The IGP and the ruling Umno so far have been giving Indira the run-around.

Will the IGP and Umno behave decently this time or continue to ‘torture’ Indira?

Paul Warren: The courts should have summoned and found the police guilty of disobeying a High Court order and for wasting the Federal Court’s time. So what happens if the Federal Court order is ignored by the police?

Maplesyrup: We are happy for Indira and her kids. But we cannot help but wonder, does she have to thank her good fortune to the upcoming Sarawak election?

Tan Kim Keong: Indira should also now sue the IGP for not acting on the mandamus order issued by the High Court in 2014 which resulted in an appeal by her ex-husband three months later.

In other words, if not for the intended dereliction of duty by the IGP, she would have got her daughter back two years ago.

JD Lovrenciear: Justice has been done. Now the IGP must show immediate proof that justice is also seen to be done. The nation awaits.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.