In 2009, when Najib Abdul Razak became prime minister, a man from Ipoh, called Pathmanathan, was also planning his move. After 24 years of marriage, his wife, Indira Gandhi, had filed for divorce.
Soon after the divorce, Pathmanathan converted to Islam, without telling his former wife. He adopted the name Mohd Ridhuan Abdullah and decided to take his three children with him, and again, without telling his wife, converted them to Islam.
The youngest, Prasana Diksa, was only 11-months old, at the time. Although the two older children were eventually returned to their mother, Prasana was abducted by the father, and has not been found.
The conversion complicated matters because Indira could not challenge him in the Shariah Court, as she was a Hindu. Few know that many other couples are also faced with this dilemma, when one converts to Islam, and the children are caught in the crossfire.
An embattled Indira proceeded with her legal battle, and in 2010, the High Court granted her full custody of all three children. Ridhuan was ordered to return Prasana to Indira. He failed to do this.
Three years later, the High Court quashed the conversion of Indira’s children, and gave her permission to bring them up as Hindus. According to Justice Lee Swee Seng, the conversion was unconstitutional, as the conversion certificates have been issued in the absence of the children and their mother. In addition, the children have not been asked to recite the Kalimah Shahadah (affirmation of faith).
Indira has been in and out of court, as Ridhuan has challenged the court orders. On December 2015, the Court of Appeal overturned the Ipoh High Court ruling and declared that the matter of conversion fell under the sole purview of the Shariah Court. Then, in 2016, the Federal Court ordered the then IGP, Khalid Abu Bakar, to arrest Riduan. He refused to comply with the court order, saying the two court rulings were conflicting.
In a landmark ruling, on Jan 29, 2018, the Federal Court unanimously declared that it was unlawful to convert children to Islam without the consent of both parents. Indira was again granted custody over all three of her children.
So, why has there been no progress in finding Prasana? Why is Ridhuan so difficult to find? He has an IC. Prasana is now 10-years-old. There must be records of her school and medical records. How can two people be this invisible?
In November 2016, social activist, Amri Che Mat was allegedly abducted by the police. A few months later, we were told that three other people, Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife, Ruth, have also been abducted. Pastor Raymond Koh was abducted in February 2017, in daylight on a busy Petaling Jaya road, in a slick operation involving several vehicles. His kidnapping was captured on CCTV.
To date, none of the four have been found, nor has any ransom note been given to members of their families. No new information about their whereabouts has surfaced.
In May 2018, Amri’s wife, Norhayati, made a police report in Shah Alam in which she alleged that Sergeant Mohd Shamzaini Mohd Daud (aka Sham), of the Special Branch in Perlis, had new information about the disappearance of Amri and Pastor Koh.
The details have been documented by the NGO, Citizens Against Enforced Disappearance (CAGED).
Why were the people abducted? Has the investigation stalled because the police are short of manpower after the 14th general election as many are involved in the apprehension of those involved in 1MDB and other high level corruption?
When will mother Indira Gandhi, Pastor Koh’s wife, Susanna and Norhayati, the wife of Amri Che Mat, as well as the families of Joshua Hilmy and Ruth, find justice or at least have some form of closure for their missing loved ones?
As we begin the new year, will the police or home minister inform the families that they will step up efforts to investigate their disappearance?
An effective police force would interrogate Najib and former IGP Khalid, both of whom may be able to provide valuable information about the kidnappings.
The views of the writer do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.