Kuala Lumpur: The High Court granted on Monday a declaration sought by a 76-year-old man, affirming his status as a Christian.
Justice Amarjeet Singh ruled that Stanley Pinto @ Yakob Md Nor, who was born out of wedlock to Abdul Gani Md Nor and Susan Pinto, had professed the Christian faith throughout his life.
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The court also allowed Stanley’s request for a declaration that he be accorded a Christian burial, in line with the rites of the Roman Catholic Church.
“Stanley’s estate will be governed by the Distribution Act 1958 and the Wills Act 1959,” said Amarjeet, whose oral grounds were read by Deputy Registrar Firdaus Sidqi.
Parties were earlier informed that Amarjeet was not available to deliver his judgment personally, having been co-opted to sit as a Court of Appeal judge in Putrajaya on Monday.
In his originating summons filed in 2023, Stanley said he was born an illegitimate child in Krian, Perak, on Nov 26, 1949.
He said his mother Susan had never converted to Islam, and that no Muslim marriage was ever solemnised between her and Yakob.
He added that he had never met Yakob, nor had his mother ever spoken of him.
He said he was a member of the Catholic Church, and had never been a Muslim.
He said he was baptised in a Roman Catholic Church sometime between the age of seven and 12, and had attended mass with his mother as well as Catholic religious classes.
Stanley said he received his first holy communion at age nine, and confirmation aged 18.
He said that in 2002, his constitutional right under Article 11(1) – which guarantees the freedom to profess the religion of one’s choice – was breached when the National Registration Department (NRD) issued him an identity card bearing the word “Islam”.
Aston Paiva appeared for Stanley while Senior Federal Counsel Shahidah Nafisah Leman represented the Federal Government.
Lawyer Joy Wilson Appukuttan appeared for the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, while counsel Hasnan Hamzah acted for the Selangor government and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department.
Paiva told FMT after the proceedings that he would write to the NRD seeking the removal of the word “Islam” from Stanley’s identity card.
