Consider This: Children (Part 2) - Gaps Between Law & Institutions

Single mother Loh Siew Hong has succeeded in her legal bid to quash the unlawful detention of her three children who had been unilaterally converted to Islam. Loh, who is a Hindu Chinese, was awarded sole custody of the three children – a pair of 14-year-old twins and a 10-year-old – after her divorce from Nagashwaran Muniandy. While she was in a domestic abuse shelter, Nagashwaran had converted to Islam and had also unilaterally converted the children without her knowledge. He was arrested for a drug-related offence and is now in jail in Kelantan. The children are now under the care of the Perlis Welfare Department. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Professor Datuk Dr Noor Aziah Awal, Commissioner, SUHAKAM (Human Rights Commission of Malaysia).