In the suit, Mohd Ridhuan Giman, 34, and Siti Sarah Maulad Abdullah, 26, said they were suing the department for wrongful arrest and invasion of privacy.

They also accused Jawi of abusing its power and violating the couple’s rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement under the federal constitution.

The couple named Jawi, the department’s director-general, two Jawi enforcement officers, the Prime Minister’s Department and the Malaysian government as defendants, among others.

Speaking to reporters at the High Court lobby here, the couple’s lawyer, Yusfarizal Yusoff, said he was disappointed that Jawi refused to accept his client’s proof of marriage.

“If it can happen to them, it can happen to anyone. This is why we are taking action to ensure justice is served.”

According to Yusfarizal, the couple were spending the night at a budget hotel on Jan 8 when eight religious enforcement officers came knocking on their door at 1.30am.

He said even though Ridhuan informed them that his wife was not decently dressed, a male officer barged into the room.

This led to a scuffle between Ridhuan and the male officer, which resulted in Ridhuan injuring his neck.

“Ridhuan had on several occasions informed the Jawi officers that they were a married couple and had even shown them a picture of their marriage cert on a handphone. But the officers refused to accept the explanation.

“Instead, one of the officers instructed Siti Sarah to get properly dressed in front of him, while another male officer took pictures and a video of the couple.”

Ridhuan and Siti Sarah are seeking damages, an apology from the department, and withdrawal of further investigations and legal costs.