SHAH ALAM: The family of a woman whose Hindu wedding reception was allegedly raided by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) has claimed that the incident was "sensationalised" by the media.
Jais' investigation had shown that the bride, Zarena Abdul Majid, was not an apostate as she has been a practising Hindu since childhood despite being registered with a Muslim name.
Family spokesperson Arun Dorasamy said the family regretted the use of the word "raid" by the media to describe the incident as it had caused public tension and discord.
Arun and Zarena, in a joint statement issued by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais), also admitted that Jais had carried out its investigation with respect and without offending family members and wedding guests.
Yesterday, Mais and Zarena held a meeting to discuss Jais' investigation into the reception on June 1 at a Petaling Jaya temple.
The meeting, chaired by Mais chairman Datuk Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa, was attended by Mais and Jais top officials. Also discussed during the meeting was the confirmation of Zarena's religious status.
"Mais has advised her to file an application to verify her religious status at the Syariah High Court as it is under the court's jurisdiction. Mais and Jais will assist in expediting the hearing of her case," said Adzib.
It was reported that Jais did not follow the standard operating procedure in the investigation as the state only allows Jais to carry out their duties autonomously for matters involving Muslims.
Jais has to obtain the opinion of the menteri besar and state executive council on matters involving other religions and races before taking any action.
