Court rules Teoh non-Muslim, orders body to be returned

(The Sun Daily) – The Penang Syariah High Court today ruled that Teoh Cheng Cheng, 38, whose body was seized by the state Islamic Religious officers on Monday, was not a Muslim at the time of her death.

Judge Zaim Md Yudin said the court arrived at this conclusion after finding that there were discrepancies in the dates of the conversion documents.

He said the date recorded in the Penang Islamic Religious Affairs Department log book, where details of converts were recorded, differed from the dates in the conversion application forms.

He also said testimony from witnesses, including Teoh’s boyfriend and daughter, showed the deceased performed her prayers according to Buddhist rites.

He noted the daughter had told the court she was brought up as a Buddhist by the deceased adding that pictures of the residence tendered as evidence showed altars outside and inside the unit.

“The court finds that Teoh Cheng Cheng or Nora Teoh Abdullah is not a Muslim at the time of her death,” he said in his ruling and ordered the body be returned to the family for the last rites.

Appearing for Teoh’s family was Syariah lawyer Wan Faridulhadi Mohd Yusoff while the department was represented by Penang Islamic Religious Council counsel Noor Asyimah Ramli.

During the wake on Monday, Teoh’s body was taken away by the department who claimed that she was a Muslim after embracing Islam in 1997.

The family then filed a suit at the Syariah Court to seek a declaration that she was not a Muslim, while a civil suit was filed by Teoh’s mother, Tan Ma Suan, at the Penang High Court today.

Teoh’s cousin, Choo Cheong, expressed his relief over the decision when met outside the courtroom and said arrangements were being made to have the body cremated soon.

He, however, could not hide his ire over what had transpired and urged for action to be taken against those responsible for putting the family through this experience.

“The department should have known from day one whether she (Teoh) was a Muslim or not,” he said.

In a related development, Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh who is representing Tan, told the media that a decision will be made tomorrow on whether to proceed or withdraw the suit.

The suit seeks, among others, to declare her daughter as a Buddhist, the return of the body, to stop the department from claiming the body, compensation, costs and other reliefs deemed fit by the court.