Riduan fails to appear in court

PUTRAJAYA: Muslim convert Muhammad Riduan Abdullah did not show up at the Federal Court yesterday despite being asked to be present.

However, his lawyer Hatim Musa was allowed to appear on his behalf and make submissions in an appeal filed by his ex-wife M. Indira Ghandi over Riduan’s unilateral conversion of their children to Islam.

On Monday, Indira’s lawyer M. Kulasegaran had objected over Hatim’s presence in court to represent Riduan in the submissions of the appeal.

Riduan is at present in contempt of court for failing to return his youngest daughter to Indira, despite an order by the High Court granting custody to the Hindu mother.

A five-man panel led by Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin and comprising Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum and Federal Court judges Tan Sri Zainun Ali, Tan Sri Abu Samah Nordin and Tan Sri Ramly Ali, will hear the prosecution’s submission on Dec 5.

Indira was appealing against a 2-1 majority decision of the Court of Appeal on Dec 30 last year that it did not have jurisdiction to decide on the conversion as the case was under the syariah court.

On March 2009, Riduan converted to Islam and converted the children to Islam in Perak on April 2, 2009, without Indira’s knowledge. – by S. Tamarai Chelvi