“If the government accepts the fact that children (need not) be present to convert, then it means that any civil servant sitting in a government office can change your name, give you a new name and make you a Muslim,” Paiva said at a press conference today.

Indira will be applying for permission from the Federal Court on May 19 to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s reinstating of the conversion certificates of her three children.

The Federal Court will decide on May 19 whether or not to grant leave for the appeal on the unilateral conversion of Indira’s three children by Indira’s ex-husband Muhammad Ridhuan Abdullah.

The Court of Appeal had ruled that civil courts can’t decide on conversions.

Paiva said Indira’s children had not been converted through proper channels, as the children did not recite the shahada (proclamation of faith) before a registrar, and were not present when their father, Riduan, registered the conversion.

Police are currently having difficulty finding Muhammad Riduan, who has gone missing following the court order to return his daughter to Indira.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar had directed his men to serve the warrant of arrest issued by the Federal Court.