MCCBCHST: Revoke Conversion of a mentally-ill woman

Majlis Perundingan Malaysia Agama Buddha, Kristian, Hindu, Sikh dan Tao
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism

22nd June, 2011

MCCBCHST: Revoke Conversion of a mentally-ill woman

The MCCBCHST is disturbed to learn about the conversion of Eow Su Chin, 23, a mentally-ill woman to lslam recently. We have learnt from the Newspaper report appearing in STAR on 10/6/2011 that Eow Su Chin has been certified to have the mental age of a 7 year old. We appreciate that while the lslamic religious department of Balik Pulau where the conversion took place may not initially have been aware of the mental state of Eow Su Chin (now known as Sofiah Eow Abdullah) before her conversion, but now after having been shown the medical records of the mental incapacity and the fact that Eow Su Chin had been taken away from a Handicap Centre, the lslamic Department's inaction in not righting a wrong does not bode well for the Department.

The following wrongs appear to have been committed in this case against Eow Su Chin:-

1. The person "Kassim" who took Eow Su Chin away from the Eden Handicap Centre must have been aware of her mental incapacity. He thus may be Guilty of having removed Eow Su Chin from a place of safety without lawful authority which can amount to abducting a woman to compel her marriage, an offence under Section 366 of Panel Code.
2. The lslamic Religious Department of Balik Pulau by not revoking the conversion Departmentally on learning of the mental state of Eow Su Chin may be guilty of Committing a moral wrong.
3. Since Conversion of Eow Su Chin was done in haste, it appears that no prior religious counseling had been given to her.

The MCCBCHST therefore calls on the Balik Pulau Religious department to departmentally revoke the Conversion of Eow Su Chin to lslam, in view of her incapacity to give consent for conversion to lslam. This will go a long way in righting a wrong that has been committed to Eow Su Chin and her family.

Download MCCBCHST Statement in PDF.