Malaysia Case Law: Decisions & Judgments

Topic

Jurisdictional conflict between civil and syariah courts

Legal area

Court

29 Aug 2025

Noor Jahan binti Yusoff Khan 1. ) Amanah Raya Berhad 2. ) Juita binti Mohd Johari

Citation

BA-24NCvC-1257-06/2025 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

BA-24NCvC-1257-06/2025 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The originating summons is dismissed because the defendants demonstrated serious disputed factual issues (authenticity, edited dates, deceased's capacity and signatures) that merit a full trial and because the 2nd Defendant has a caveatable interest warranting maintenance of the status quo; additionally, the core question whether the MOTs constitute a valid hibah may fall within Syariah jurisdiction and is not properly determined on originating summons.
23 Jul 2025

BRANDON YEOH PHEE LIANG KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA

Citation

BA-24NCvC-768-04/2025 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

BA-24NCvC-768-04/2025 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The originating summons is dismissed because the critical factual and legal questions (mother's religious status at the time of birth and nasab) fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Syariah Court; absent a Syariah determination the civil High Court cannot grant the declaratory relief sought or direct the Registrar to amend religious status; therefore dismissal with costs was ordered.
30 Apr 2025

1. ) NURUL FADILAH YAP BINTI ABDULLAH 2. ) NURUL ADLINA YAP BINTI ABDULLAH 1. ) MAJLIS AGAMA ISLAM SELANGOR (MAIS) 2. ) Kerajaan Negeri Selangor

Citation

BA-24NCvC-2894-12/2024 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

BA-24NCvC-2894-12/2024 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

Assuming plaintiffs' pleaded facts true, the question of whether their conversion and syahadah were valid involves core Sharia matters (aqidah, Syahadah, mumayyiz/aqil baligh) and falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Syariah High Court under Article 121(1A) and the Enakmen Pentadbiran Agama Islam (Negeri Selangor) 2003; therefore the civil originating summons is not the proper forum and is dismissed for want of jurisdiction; plaintiffs must pursue their claims in the Syariah High Court (Saman 599 and Saman 600).
3 Oct 2024

SITI NUR AIN BINTI SULAIMAN 1. ) Majlis Ugama Islam dan Adat Resam Melayu Pahang 2. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

Citation

C-01(NCvC)(A)-118-03/2023 (Mahkamah Rayuan)
Court

NCvC
Case number

C-01(NCvC)(A)-118-03/2023 (Mahkamah Rayuan)

The court held this case to be a renunciation/apostasy case on the facts: the appellant was converted alongside her mother, was raised by the Muslim mother, recorded in the Daftar Rekod Muallaf and given a Muslim name, and section 103 of the Enactment (read with section 2(1)(d)) applies so that the child became Muslim; accordingly the proper forum is the Syariah Court and the civil appeal is dismissed and the High Court decision is affirmed.
22 Jul 2024

SITI NORHALIZA BINTI ABDULLAH 1. ) MAJLIS AGAMA ISLAM SELANGOR (MAIS) 2. ) Kerajaan Negeri Selangor

Citation

BL-24NCvC-118-11/2023 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

BL-24NCvC-118-11/2023 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The High Court has jurisdiction to determine ab initio claims on legal religious identity; the plaintiff established on balance that the conversion at age seven failed to comply with Section 117(b) AIRIE 2003 and Article 12(4) Federal Constitution because the father's consent was not obtained, rendering that conversion voidable and open to civil challenge; the Registrar's certificate is challengeable where statutory prerequisites were not observed; applications to strike out for want of jurisdiction were therefore dismissed, while claims seeking orders against the National Registration Direct…
7 Sept 2023

Hisham Bin Halim 1. ) Maya Binti Ahmad Fuaad 2. ) Ketua Hakim Syarie Mahkamah Syariah Negeri Selangor 3. ) Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Kehakiman Syariah Malaysia 4. ) Pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah Negeri Selangor 5. ) Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah

Citation

BA-25-37-05/2021 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

BA-25-37-05/2021 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The application for stay was dismissed because Article 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution bars the civil High Court from intervening in matters within the jurisdiction of the Syariah courts; the court had already dismissed the judicial review for lack of jurisdiction and it would be inconsistent and prejudicial to permit a stay that interferes with Syariah proceedings.
28 Mar 2022

NURUL SHAFIKA BINTI ABDULLAH (970415-07-5774) 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) Pejabat Penasihat Undang-Undang Negeri Pulau Pinang 3. ) MAJLIS AGAMA ISLAM NEGERI PULAU PINANG

Citation

PA-25-4-01/2021 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

PA-25-4-01/2021 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The High Court held that the interlocutory application to strike out (Lampiran 21) was inappropriate because the issues raised were not plainly frivolous or incapable of being resolved only at a substantive hearing; the grant of leave was not a final determination (not functus officio or res judicata) and the matters required full substantive adjudication, therefore Lampiran 21 was to be dismissed and the substantive hearing (Lampiran 12) should proceed; subsequent withdrawal by the applicant rendered the applications academic and the court cancelled both Lampiran 12 and Lampiran 21 without c…
25 Feb 2021

HAMBALI BIN HASSAN 1. ) NUR ZAMIRUL ASWINA BINTI NAZIR 2. ) ABD WAHAB BIN ISMAIL

Citation

na-22ncvc-34-08/2020 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

na-22ncvc-34-08/2020 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The High Court allowed the defendants' Order 18 Rule 19 application and struck out the writ and statement of claim because the dispute concerned harta sepencarian between Muslim ex‑spouses and thus falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Syariah Court; parallel Syariah proceedings rendered the civil claim duplicative and an abuse of process, making the civil action plain and obviously unsustainable.
5 Feb 2021

ROSLIZA BINTI IBRAHIM 1. KERAJAAN NEGERI SELANGOR 2. MAJLIS AGAMA ISLAM SELANGOR

Citation

01(f)-2-01/2020(B) (Mahkamah Persekutuan)
Court

f
Case number

01(f)-2-01/2020(B) (Mahkamah Persekutuan)

Where the question is whether a person is or is not a Muslim under the law (original legal/religious status) the Civil High Court has jurisdiction to hear and determine that question; where the question is whether a person is no longer a Muslim (apostasy/renunciation) the Syariah Court has exclusive jurisdiction under Article 121(1A). The appeal was allowed in part: the Federal Court granted the declaration of illegitimacy but deferred determination of the appellant's religious status and prayers concerning applicability of Syariah law pending the opinion of the Selangor Fatwa Committee under…
LATIFAH BT MAT ZIN V. ROSMAWATI BINTI SHARIBUN & ANOR.

Citation

LATIFAH BT MAT ZIN V. ROSMAWATI BINTI SHARIBUN & ANOR.
Court

Malaysian court

When a question in a civil High Court probate petition as to whether a specific property forms part of a Muslim deceased's estate turns on whether there was a gift inter vivos (hibah), that question must be determined by Islamic law and is within the jurisdiction of the syariah courts; the civil court must give effect to the syariah court's determination in granting Letters of Administration and distributing the estate.