PUTRAJAYA: The Hindu mother who has been fighting for custody of her two children after they were converted to Islam is unhappy with the Federal Court’s verdict to award custody of her son to her ex-husband.
S. Deepa hoped that her case would be the last of its kind in the country and said the laws in Malaysia needed to be changed.
The Court of Appeal had originally given her custody of both her son and daughter last year.
“I am upset because I didn’t get my son. It was my hope that the court would give me both my children but it wasn’t so, only my daughter was given to me,” Deepa told reporters outside the courtroom at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya.
She said she had faced many hardships in life.
“I was separated from my children, I have no husband, no help whatsoever, no money.
“All of this I have gone through, and now with the verdict, only my daughter is returned to me. This is not justice.
“Don’t let cases like this happen again to single mothers like me. Let this be the last such case in Malaysia,” she said in tears.
However, on the other side of the hall, her former husband, Izwan Abdullah was pleased with the results.
“I very much agree with the decision,” he said.
He explained that if either parent had been given custody of both children, the other would have been upset, but with each parent given one child each, he was happy.
Furthermore, he expressed his hope that his former wife would convert to Islam.
“We pray that she becomes a Muslim. Her entire family has embraced Islam, only she has not done so yet.
“She has not received a hidayah (revelation) yet. God willing, she gets one,” he said.
Earlier, the Federal Court granted Izwan custody of his eight-year-old son while Deepa was granted custody of their 10-year-old daughter.
The court also decided to granted both parents visitation rights, which would take place in the home of Deepa’s mother every two months.
