Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - An ethnic Chinese man is challenging the conversion of his baby daughter to Islam by his estranged wife, a lawyer said on Thursday, the latest interreligious dispute to rock mainly Muslim Malaysia.
Hoo Ying Soon, a 28-year-old carpenter, was shocked when he received a notice two days ago from the Sharia court granting temporary custody of their 15-month-old daughter to his wife, said his lawyer Tang Jay Son.
He was told that his wife, Chew Yin Yin, 23, embraced Islam on January 28 while his daughter was converted on February 3, Tang said.
The couple, both Buddhists, married February 2007 in southern Negeri Sembilan state but their marriage broke down in September, he said.
"Hoo will challenge the conversion of his daughter in the High Court because it was done unilaterally by the mother without the consent of the father.
"They are not divorced yet," Tang said.
Religious issues are extremely sensitive in Malaysia, where about 60 per cent of the 27 million people are Muslims.
Buddhist, Christian and Hindu minorities have accepted Islam's dominance but in recent years voiced fears that courts are unfairly asserting the supremacy of Islam, which is Malaysia's official religion.
Malaysia has a dual court system. Muslims are governed by the Sharia courts and non-Muslims, civil courts.
But interreligious disputes almost always end up in Sharia courts, and also end in favour of Muslims.
Tang said Hoo's wife, who has adopted the name Siti Zubaidah Chew Abdullah, has filed for divorce in the Islamic court, a hearing was due later yesterday.
Hoo will seek an injunction in the Sharia court to prevent his wife from taking custody of their child, he said.