Lawyer. Activist. Trainer. Loyarburokker. Edmund Bon wears many hats in his quest to champion human rights. Bon is currently the Bar Council’s constitutional law committee chairperson. This is the committee that, since 2009, has been running the MyConstitution campaign to popularise the federal constitution among Malaysians. Bon and his contemporaries — Amer Hamzah Arshad, K […]
K Shanmuga
“Syariah court has no legitimacy for non-Muslims”
By Ding Jo-Ann
Corrected 11.35am on 25 Aug 2010 ON 20 Aug 2010, a three-person bench of the Court of Appeal unanimously denied the application of S Kaliammal, the widow of Mount Everest climber M Moorthy, to determine her late husband’s religious status. Moorthy passed away on 20 Dec 2005 after entering into a coma. Just before his […]
The politics of dialogue
By K ShanmugaSome people just don’t understand dialogue… SO now the government wants a formalised interfaith dialogue mechanism? Going by the history of the state’s response to attempts by civil society to initiate interfaith dialogue, I am not holding my breath. In 2005, various members of civil society had a conference proposing a statutory Interfaith Commission (IFC) […]
Court allows judicial review of banned book
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 Aug 2009: The High Court (Appelate and Special Powers Division) here today allowed an application by Sisters in Islam (SIS) for a judicial review of a book which the government banned. Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof made the order after listening to arguments by senior federal counsel Noor Hishamuddin Ismail who […]
High Court refers Mohan Singh’s conversion to syariah court (Updated 4.45pm)
By Deborah LohUpdated 4.45pm on 6 July 2009 SHAH ALAM, 6 July 2009: The High Court here gave jurisdiction to the Syariah Court to determine if art director Mohan Singh a/l Janto Singh was a Muslim at death, despite his Sikh family’s dispute of his conversion. Judge Rosnaini Saub said the civil court had no jurisdiction to […]
Decision in Mohan Singh case on 6 July
By Deborah LohSHAH ALAM, 1 July 2009: The High Court will decide which court has jurisdiction to hear competing claims over the body of Mohan Singh al/l Janot Singh on Monday, 6 July 2009. High Court judge Rosnaini Saub announced this today after the final round of arguments on the matter was made in court today. Both […]
“All must be Muslim for Syariah Court to have jurisdiction”
By Deborah LohSHAH ALAM, 30 June 2009: Provisions in the Federal Constitution and the Islamic laws of Selangor clearly state that all parties to a dispute must be Muslim in order for proceedings to be held in the Syariah Court, the High Court here was told today. Lawyer K Shanmuga, who is representing the family of deceased […]
Court sets 22 July to hear AG’s objection on SIS
KUALA LUMPUR, 24 June 2009: The High Court (Appellate and Special Powers Division) here today fixed 22 July to hear the Attorney-General’s objections to the application by the Sisters in Islam (SIS) Forum (Malaysia) for a judicial review on the banning of a book. Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof set the date in chambers. […]
“Non-Muslims have no locus standi”
By Deborah LohCorrected on 30 June 2009 at 7.50pm SHAH ALAM, 23 June 2009: The non-Muslim family members of Mohan Singh a/l Janot Singh cannot be a party to the dispute over his body as the core issue of his religious status at the time of death can only be determined by the Syariah Court, the High […]
“Syariah court’s jurisdiction only over Muslims”
By Deborah LohShanmuga (left) and Rajesh SHAH ALAM, 19 June 2009: The religious status of deceased film director Mohan Singh must be heard in the civil court based on the most recent court judgements about the syariah court’s jurisdiction and position, the High Court here heard. Rajesh Kumar, the lawyer for Mohan’s family, told the High Court, […]
