Friday December 1, 2006
Family and Jais fight for custody of van driver’s body
KUALA LUMPUR: The family of a 71-year-old man is challenging the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) for the custody of his body, claiming that he was a Christian and no longer a Muslim.
The family acknowledged that he was a Muslim before but claimed he had returned to Christianity seven years ago.
Van driver A. Rayappan died of complications from diabetes at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) on Wednesday.
When his family wanted to claim his body from the KLH mortuary yesterday, Jais officers, who claimed that Rayappan was still a Muslim, stopped them.
Lawyer A. Sivanesan, who accompanied the family to KLH, spoke with the officers but failed to resolve the matter.
“In 1990, Rayappan became a Muslim and his whole family knew about it. But in 1999, he came back to Christianity and has been practising his faith ever since,” the lawyer said.
Sivanesan said that in 1999, Rayappan submitted a deed poll to the National Registration Department (NRD) to change his Muslim name back to his original one and it was approved.
“There are no arguments. NRD has issued him a MyKad with his original name and therefore acknowledged him as a Christian. He died a Christian and his body should be given to his family,” he said.
Sivanesan said Jais officers showed him a statement dated June 2005 that Rayappan’s name was Muhamad Rayappan bin Abdullah and that they had issued him a card, verifying him to be a Muslim.
“Why didn’t they issue him the card in 1990 when he first converted? Why wait until now to show that they have issued him a card last year?” he asked.
“The family only wants to point out that he was born a Christian, became a Muslim and then converted back to Christianity. All this was done legally and there is no reason why we cannot claim his body,” said Rayappan’s cousin Deva Sagayam.
News Poll
- Court ruling takes bite out of local council summonses
- Chin Peng apologises for death of innocents
- Girl and stepmum held over bid to kill first wife
- Biggest karaoke session a blast
- New evidence on MCA snoop squad case arrives at doorstep
- Teoh's second autopsy completed 3.15pm
- Victim’s dad nabs kidnapper
- Teoh’s body exhumed for second autopsy today
- Foreigner falls to her death from condominium
- Malaysians must get regular dental checks
- Court ruling takes bite out of local council summonses
- Chin Peng apologises for death of innocents
- Malaysians must get regular dental checks
- No licence to try offenders
- Big impact in ‘small’ man’s win
- New evidence on MCA snoop squad case arrives at doorstep
- Stop blanket approval for outsourcing, says union
- Teoh's second autopsy completed 3.15pm
- Weapons drawn for new battle
- Johor set to be a medical hub
RSS
