Muslim couple in a bind

Amira Ismail and refugee Mohd Danial Abdullah were given the runaround when they tried to get their marriage solemnised.

KUALA LUMPUR: Amira Ismail, 25, from Pantai Dalam, and Mohd Danial Abdullah alias David Sing Liam Pui 28, met in August last year at a restaurant in Kelana Jaya where she worked.

They fell in love and wanted to get married. The Kuala Lumpur Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) initially told the couple that they could get married provided Danial is a Muslim.

It was not a problem for Danial who had converted to Islam in May. It should have cleared the way for Danial and Amira to start a new life together.

It was not to be so as that was when their problems began with the authorites. Danial, a Burmese Chin, who holds a UNHCR card, is not recognised as a refugee.

This is because Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Convention Relating to Status of Refugees 1951, and as such Danial and Amira are now being given the runaround.

Said Amira: “Despite Danial’s conversion to Islam, Jawi and the National Registration Department are unable to help us in our efforts to get married.”

Lembah Pantai MP, Nurul Izzah Anwar said this is the first time she has encountered such a case involving her voter.

Both Amira and Danial had sought the help of Nurul, who is also PKR vice-president, to resolve the couple’s predicament.

“The problem is our country didn’t ratify the UN conventions on refugees and so our laws do not recognise refugees,” said Nurul, who was referring to the Immigration Act 1959.

Swap deal criticised

Nurul added that even a UNHCR refugee card-carrying person is deemed as an illegal, which is now the real barrier for Amira.

In light of Amira’s case, Nurul criticised the government’s preparedness in receiving new immigrants via a swap deal signed by Australia and Malaysia last month.

“It’s a shame. We will also send a memorandum to the Home Minister (Hishammuddin Hussein) and a note to (Australian Immigration Minister) Chris Bowen,” Nurul said at a press conference at her office in Pantai Dalam here today.

Under the deal, 4,000 immigrants would be sent to Australia from Malaysia and in return 800 of them currently in Christmas Island would be arriving in Malaysia soon.

Nurul said that she would be working with human rights NGO, Suaram, to help Amira and Danial work out their problem with the authorities and help couple start their married life.