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http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/National/20070421082835/Article/index_html
SHAH ALAM: A rubber tapper has turned to the courts to affirm the religious status of his wife and six underage children.
P. Marimuthu has accused officials of the Selangor Religious department (Jais) of taking away his family members and detaining them against their will. The officers had allegedly raided his house at Kampung Baru Tambahan in Ulu Yam Lama early this month.
He lodged a police report and followed that with a habeas corpus application at the Shah Alam High Court on Thursday. He has named the Selangor Religious Department as the respondent.
Marimuthu, 42, has alleged that his wife, Raimah Bibi Noordin, 29, and their children are being held unlawfully by the department. The children are Yoogenaswary, 12, Paramila, 11, Hariharan, 8, Ravindran, 6, Shamala, 5, and Kaberan, 4.
He said the department officials did not serve a detention order on his wife and children before they were taken away from their home on April 2. Marimuthu said he and his wife are Hindus. “We have brought up our children in the Hindu faith,” he said.
“I believe my wife and children are being held by officers from the department at a house in Kampung Melayu Liga Emas in Batang Kali, Selangor.”
He said he had been advised by his lawyer that the detention was illegal as the department did not have the authority to hold his family.
“I am worried there are efforts by the department to convert my wife and children to Islam without my consent.”
Marimuthu said such action could only be prevented immediately if they were produced in the High Court.
Counsel Karpal Singh said he had also filed a certificate of urgency as the freedom and religious rights of the family were at stake.
