The Johor Syariah High Court has today issued a gag order for those in the public gallery not to propagate or report a decision made against the former state sultanah, Tuanku Zanariah Tunku Ahmad, who wants a review of the alleged “divorce” from her late husband.

It is understood that Judge Mohammad Khaldun Mohd Sharif issued the order just before he stepped out of the court and into his chambers, after delivering the decision in dismissing Tuanku Zanariah's revision application.

Sources indicate Mohammad Khaldun had dismissed Tuanku Zanariah's application this afternoon after hearing submissions on the matter, on grounds that the court was bound by the Johor fatwa committee's edict that declared the divorce valid.

If the court does not stand by the fatwa, who else will abide by it, sources quoting the judge had said.

The Johor fatwa committee was said to have met on Aug 6, 2010, recognising the divorce proclamation made by the late ruler following then-Johor menteri besar Abdul Ghani Othman (left) and Johor Royal Committee chairperson Tengku Osman Tunku Temenggong Ahmad making a statutory declaration over it.

The judge today practically ignored the submission made by lawyers representing Tuanku Zanariah who claimed that the divorce is illegal due to questions on whether the talaq (divorce proclamation) had been done properly, added the source.

Tuanku Zanariah was also Raja Permaisuri Agong when the late Sultan Mahmud Iskandar became the country's eighth Yang di-Pertuan Agong. They have six children together.

She was present in court along with her daughters. It is noted that the present Johor sultan is her stepson.

It was previously reported on Jan 1 that Tuanku Zanariah had filed a revision application and named Sultan Mahmud Iskandar as the respondent over a divorce order issued by the Johor Syariah Lower Court.

This follows Tuanku Zanariah receiving the order in August last year, although the decision had been made in September 2010, without her having any knowledge of the proceedings.

Sultan Mahmud Iskandar passed away on Jan 22, 2010 but the divorce had been backdated to 2009 by the Lower Syariah Court.

Tuanku Zanariah, in her application, cited the divorce order and proceeding that were wrong in law and went against Syariah law, that the proceeding was against the Syariah Court Practices Enactment (Johor) 2003, as well as the decision being against the principles of justice.

Thus, she expressed her wish for the Lower Syariah Court order to be nullified.