Indira’s daughter, Prasana Diksa, was taken in 2009 by her former husband, K Pathmanathan or Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, when she was just 11 months old.

“From the beginning, it was never about religion. It is about a mother being deprived of her daughter.

“I am thankful to Tengku Maimun for remembering what this case is really about.

“Prasana Diksa is going to be 17 years old this year. I’ve been separated from my daughter for way too long,” Indira told FMT.

A landmark Federal Court decision in 2018 ruled in Indira’s favour, declaring the unilateral conversion of her three children to Islam by Riduan null and void. However, despite the court’s decision, the police have yet to locate Prasana.

Indira said there seemed to be a lack of enforcement in locating her daughter.

“Many thought the Federal Court decision meant I would get my daughter back. But this case is far from over and the authorities have been silent.

“I have done everything I can from a legal perspective, but this is injustice,” she added.

Yesterday, Tengku Maimun was reported as saying that Indira’s was one of the most impactful cases of her career.

Tengku Maimun said despite the civil court granting custody to the mother, conflicting orders issued by the shariah court had complicated the process.

In a session titled “Live to Lead: The Journey of the Chief Justice”, she said misunderstandings of Islam had often clouded public perception and influenced reactions to high-profile cases.

“When we speak about Islam, it is all about justice. It does not teach us to look at the colour of someone’s skin or the religion they profess. Social justice is paramount in Islam.

“To me, there was no basis or justification in Islam, as I understand it, to deprive a child of her mother or a mother of her child,” Tengku Maimun was quoted as saying.