{
  "id": 9729785,
  "title": "Court strikes out man’s bid to change Muslim status",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/court-strikes-out-mans-bid-to-change-muslim-status",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-25T07:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/09/25/court-strikes-out-man-s-bid-to-change-muslim-status"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Court of Appeal has dismissed a man's attempt to alter his religious status, ruling that the issue is beyond the purview of the civil court. Shehzad Malik Sarwar Malik sought a declaration that he was a Sikh and had never practiced Islam, despite his parents being Muslims when he was born in 1996. Official documents confirmed his birth to parents who had voluntarily embraced Islam, and his religious status was legally identified as Muslim under Section 2 of the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act 1993. The Court of Appeal's three-judge panel, led by Justice Firuz Jaffril, found that the civil court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, as it pertained to renunciation, which falls under shariah court jurisdiction.",
  "summary": "Court of Appeal says civil courts have no jurisdiction to determine religious status.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Court strikes out man’s bid to change Muslim status",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/court-strikes-out-mans-bid-to-change-muslim-status-9730185",
        "published": "2026-09-25T07:20:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}