The Penang Syariah High Court today postponed to Dec 3 to decide on an application by a Muslim convert to renounce Islam.

According to Bernama, judge Othman Ibrahim made the order to allow Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah to be referred to the Penang Islamic Religious Department (Jaip) for guidance and counselling.

"The decision is shelved pending further instruction to refer the plaintiff to Jaip's Ukhuwah Unit for counselling and a report to be submitted within three months," he said.

Siti Fatimah, previously known as Tan Ean Huang, 38, from Nibong Tebal, filed her application to renounce Islam on July 10 last year.

In her affidavit, she stated that she had never practised Islamic teachings since embracing the religion on July 25, 1998.

Practising Buddhism

She claimed that she did not believe in Islam and that she converted to the religion to enable her to marry an Iranian by the name of Ferdoun Ashanian. The couple married on Sept 16, 2004.

Siti Fatimah filed the application to renounce Islam after her husband left her.

In her application, she claimed that she continued to eat pork and practised her Buddhist faith even after embracing Islam.

Counsel Ahmad Jailani Abdul Ghani represented Siti Fatimah while the Penang Islamic Religious Council was represented by counsel Ahmad Munawir Abdul Aziz.

Siti Fatimah's case is the latest in a string of legal matters involving Islam. One of the most widely reported cases involved a Malay Muslim woman who embraced Christianity.

In May, the country's apex Federal Court quashed Lina Joy's nine-year effort to have her conversion recognised by the civil court.

The Federal Court said Joy has to apply to the Syariah courts to be declared a non-Muslim.