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Borneo Post
20-05-2025
- Borneo Post
Nabawan woman claims converted without her consent
KOTA KINABALU (May 20): A woman from Nabawan has lodged a police report, claiming her identity was fraudulently used to register her as a Muslim more than a decade ago, without her knowledge or consent. Marni Pangeran, 38, said she was shocked to discover her name has been listed as a Muslim earlier this year, claiming that she had never converted nor signed any documents and was not present when the conversion was allegedly processed in 2009. 'I never signed any form or given consent nor have I recited the 'Syahadah'. I only discovered this when my husband checked a list of Muslim converts in our district prepared by a local religious officer,' she said after lodging a police report at the Kota Kinabalu District Police Headquarters on Sunday. Marni was accompanied by her brother-in-law Raymond Ahuar and lawyer Sazalye Donol Abdullah. She said the year she was allegedly converted, she was working in Nabawan. 'There is a picture of me wearing a tudung. I had no interaction with any religious authority,' she said. The case came to light earlier this year when a proposal was made to hold a programme for Muslim converts in Nabawan. Marni's name appeared on the list, prompting her family to investigate further. Despite her Christian faith being reflected in her identity documents, records from the Sabah Islamic Affairs Department (Jheains) indicated otherwise. Marni, who is married with four children aged six to 13, is living a Christian life. The situation has caused significant emotional distress and confusion for her family. 'My children are Christian. This false record threatens the unity and future of my family,' she said. Meanwhile, Sazalye highlighted that the alleged conversion lacked legal validity. 'A genuine conversion requires a clear and voluntary declaration, including a sworn statement. None of this was done. 'Even the thumbprint in the official documents does not match Marni's thumbprint. Police should investigate the individuals named in the documents, including a religious officer and two other witnesses. 'We suspect this could be part of a wider syndicate falsifying conversion records in remote regions,' he said. Sazalye said the case is being framed both as a criminal investigation into possible document forgery and as a civil matter for Marni to clear her religious status through the Syariah Court. 'For now, her MyKad still shows her as a Christian, but records within religious departments say otherwise, which may affect her legal standing in the future,' said Sazalye. Marni's brother-in-law, Raymond also claimed the family had also discovered that Marni's deceased aunt, who was buried according to Christian rites, was listed as a Muslim in government records. Raymond said this raises concerns about posthumous misrepresentation and administrative malpractice. It was also learned that the second witness for Marni's conversion is Datuk Sangkar Rasam @ Mohd Sharudin, whose wife, Datin Rufinah Pangeran, had ousted Raymond as Pensiangan PKR branch chief in their party's ballots in April. Sazalye, their lawyer, was the former Kota Marudu branch chief and current Sabah PKR secretary. Sangkar is a State Leadership Council member while Raymond is vice chairman. However, Raymond stressed that the matter should not be politicised. 'We must uphold justice, even if it involves family members or political figures. This is a matter of human rights and faith,' he said.
Daily Express
19-05-2025
- Daily Express
Woman lodges police report over alleged conversion
Published on: Tuesday, May 20, 2025 Published on: Tue, May 20, 2025 By: Jonathan Nicholas Text Size: From left: Raymond, Marni and Sazalye. Kota Kinabalu: A woman from Nabawan lodged a police report claiming she was registered as a Muslim without her knowledge or consent, alluding to a possible conversion syndicate operating in the interior. Marni Pengeran, 38, was accompanied by her brother-in-law Raymond Ahuar and lawyer Sazalye Donol Abdullah when she filed the report at the Kota Kinabalu District Police Headquarters on Sunday. Advertisement The report supplements an earlier police complaint made in Nabawan earlier this month. Marni claimed she never applied to convert to Islam and was unaware that her name was registered as a Muslim in the religious authority's database since 2009. 'I never signed any form or gave consent nor have I recited the syahadah. I only discovered this when my husband checked a list of Muslim converts in our district prepared by a local religious officer. 'The year I was allegedly converted I was working in Nabawan and they used a picture of me wearing a tudung. I had no interaction with any religious authority,' she said. Advertisement The case came to light earlier this year when a proposal was made to hold a programme for Muslim converts in Nabawan. Marni's name appeared on the list, prompting her family to investigate further. Despite her Christian faith being reflected in her identity documents, records from the Sabah Islamic Affairs Department (Jheains) indicated otherwise. Marni, married with four children aged 6 to 13 and living as a Christian, said the situation caused significant emotional distress and confusion for her family. 'My children are Christian. This false record threatens the unity and future of my family,' she said. Her lawyer highlighted that the alleged conversion lacked legal validity. 'A genuine conversion requires a clear and voluntary declaration, including a sworn statement. None of this was done. 'Even the thumbprint in the official documents does not match Marni's. Police should investigate the individuals named in the documents, including a religious officer and two witnesses. 'We suspect this could be part of a wider syndicate falsifying conversion records in remote regions,' he said. He said the case is being framed both as a criminal investigation into possible document forgery and as a civil matter for Marni to clear her religious status through the Syariah Court. 'For now, her MyKad still shows her as a Christian, but records within religious departments say otherwise, which may affect her legal standing in the future,' Sazalye said. Marni's family also discovered that her deceased aunt, who was buried according to Christian rites, was listed as a Muslim in government records. Raymond said this raises concerns about posthumous misrepresentation and administrative malpractice. Just to further complicate matters, the second witness for Marni's conversion is Datuk Sangkar Rasam @ Mohd Sharudin whose wife, Datin Rufinah Pangeran, had ousted Raymond as Pensiangan PKR branch chief in their party's ballots in April. Sazalye, their lawyer, was the former Kota Marudu branch chief and current Sabah PKR Secretary. Sangkar is a State Leadership Council member while Raymond is Vice Chairman. However, Raymond stressed that the matter should not be politicised. 'We must uphold justice, even if it involves family members or political figures. This is a matter of human rights and faith,' he said. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
24-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department to introduce e-nikah in June
Published on: Thursday, April 24, 2025 Published on: Thu, Apr 24, 2025 Text Size: The audience and participants at the Islamic Pre-Marriage Premier Course. Kota Kinabalu: State Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Ariffin Mohd Arif said online marriage registration (e-Nikah) will be introduced in June. The initiative by the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheains) aims to streamline marriage-related procedures. 'This aligns with the Chief Minister's call for digitising public services, including religious matters, to enhance accessibility. Congratulations to Jheains for pioneering this effort, following their earlier introduction of online marriage certificates,' he said after officiating the Madani Youth Wellness Seminar (Mental, Physical and Spiritual) and Islamic Pre-Marriage Premier Course at Wisma Muis, here, Tuesday. Ariffin commended Jheains for organising the large-scale event, urging its expansion to other districts to educate youth and prospective couples. 'Such programs equip participants with essential knowledge for marital life,' he said. The event attracted 500 attendees, featuring prominent speaker Ustaz Nabil Ahmad. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
22-04-2025
- General
- Daily Express
Consult Jheains first before building mosques, suraus, says Director
Published on: Tuesday, April 22, 2025 Published on: Tue, Apr 22, 2025 By: Marutin Ansiung Text Size: Jumain (center) receiving a souvenir from Zaki. KENINGAU: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or individuals who wish to contribute to the welfare of the Muslim community are advised to refer to the State Department of Islamic Religious Affairs (Jheains). Its Director Datuk Jumain Abdul Ghani, said this is important to ensure safety and compliance with the regulations set by body and other relevant government agencies. 'Any NGOs that intend to build any place of worship, whether a tahfiz school, mosque, or surau, must go through Jheains. 'This is to ensure that the location is suitable and appropriate for the surrounding community,' he said this during the launching ceremony of Masjid Al-Mu'min and the Raya Sekampung event at Kampung Tontolob Liwan in Tambunan. Subscribe or LOG IN to access this article. Support Independant Journalism Subscribe to Daily Express Malaysia Access to DE E-Paper Access to DE E-Paper Exclusive News Exclusive News Invites to special events Invites to special events Giveaways & Rewards 1-Year Most Popular (Income Tax Deductible) Explore Plans Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
