Muhammad Riduan still in Malaysia, says IGP

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysia Police ( PDRM) believe Muhammad Riduan Abdullah who failed to surrender to his ex-wife M. Indira Gandhi, their youngest daughter, is still in the country.

On Monday, Indira won her case at the Federal Court to nullify the certificates of conversion to Islam of her three children.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun told a media conference after a police function yesterday that PDRM decided Muhammad Riduan was still around after verifying with the Immigration Department on the matter.

“We do not have a lead... I have given specific instructions to all elements of the PDRM particularly Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to track down the man.

“I also urge members of the public who have relevant information to come forward and assist us,” he said.

On Monday, Mohamad Fuzi in a statement said police had been trying to track down Muhammad Riduan, 47, who was formerly identified as K. Pathmanathan, since 2014, based on a commitment order against the latter, issued by the Ipoh High Court on May 30, 2014.

The Federal Court on Monday set aside the unilateral conversion of kindergarten teacher Indira’s three children to Islam, ruling that the conversion of non- Muslim children must get the consent of both parents.

It held that the certificates of conversion of the three children were issued without Indira’s consent and thus contravened the Federal Constitution and the Guardianship and Infants Act 1961.

The children, two girls and a boy, now aged 20, 19, and nine years old were converted to Islam by Riduan in April 2009 following his own conversion.

In 2010, the Ipoh High Court gave Indira full custody of their three children and ordered Muhammad Ridhuan to hand over Prasana Diksa to her mother.

In 2016, the Federal Court issued an order for the Inspector General of Police to arrest Riduan for defying the court order. — Bernama