State Islamic affairs departments have been urged to follow Selangor's example in agreeing to rubber tapper P Marimuthu, a Hindu, taking custody of his six children after their mother was determined to be a Muslim.

DAP chairperson Karpal Singh, who represented Marimuthu in his legal capacity, was commenting on the arrangement that was agreed to in the Shah Alam High Court by Marimuthu, his wife Raimah Bibi and the state legal advisor.

"Jais (the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department) has publicly reasoned that, as long as there is documentation to show that the child born to a Muslim mother and Hindu father is designated a Hindu, then the father has the custody of the child. This is an important and historic indication," he told reporters in the Parliament lobby today.

"In the case of R Subashini, the children were born at the time when the father was still a Hindu and they would have been brought up as Hindus if the father has not converted. In this case, rightfully, the children must go to the mother."

Karpal said the prime minister's involvement is required to ensure uniformity in the different states in dealing with similar situations.

Several cases have caught the public imagination recently in which the interests of spouses and children have been affected following the conversion of one spouse to Islam.

Step in, Samy

In another development, Parliamentary Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang has urged Works Minister S Samy Vellu (left) to take up a complaint against Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Jamaluddin Jarjis (right)for racist remarks made to an Indian Malaysian student in the US.

"Sheena Moorthy (the student) has already sent a letter to the PM with copies to other leaders including Samy Vellu. So I hope that he will raise the matter in cabinet in order to ensure the ministers conduct themselves properly," said Lim.

"Since Samy Vellu is in the cabinet, he can demand that Jamaluddin apologises for his completely unacceptable behaviour on behalf of Sheena and those upset by the episode. For a minister to make racist and offensive remarks is insensitive to the feelings of different communities."

According to a letter written to malaysiakini by the student's outraged sister, the minister had made derogatory remarks "about Indians in general and about how they were brought in as buruh kasar" before making personal remarks related to her skin-tone. The writer has demanded an apology.