PETALING JAYA: Muhammad Nagahswaran Muniandy, the former spouse of Loh Siew Hong, passed away at age 38, yesterday.
The matter was confirmed by Loh’s lawyer Shamsher Singh Thind when contacted by FMT.
The pair had been involved in a prolonged custody dispute following Nagahswaran’s decision to relocate their three children to Perlis and convert them to Islam without mutual consent in 2020.
Multiple court rulings had previously awarded custody to Loh, beginning with a temporary order in December 2019 that evolved into complete custody by March 2021. The couple’s marriage was legally dissolved in September 2021.
Following her departure from the marriage in 2019 due to alleged mistreatment, Loh initiated habeas corpus proceedings for her children in early 2022.
The High Court sided with Loh, leading to her reunion with the children, who had temporarily been under the care of religious teacher Nazirah Nanthakumari Abdullah.
In the same year, Loh sought judicial review regarding the children’s religious conversion. The Federal Court determined in April 2024 that both parents must agree to any religious conversion of their children, confirming the children’s Hindu status.
A final challenge by Perlis state authorities to restore the children’s Muslim status was rejected in April this year.
Nagahswaran reportedly had previous legal troubles, serving restricted residence in Kelantan for drug-related charges from November 2020 until November 2022.
This criminal history emerged during custody proceedings and formed part of Loh’s arguments for sole custody of their children.
His incarceration period overlapped with when Loh reported recovering from alleged domestic violence and medical treatment, adding complexity to the widely-reported case.
In July 2023, Nagahswaran faced charges at Sungai Petani Sessions Court for allegedly causing serious injury to Loh at their Taman Ria residence on March 3, 2019.
He had entered a not guilty plea, received RM10,000 bail, and was instructed to avoid contact with Loh and case witnesses while awaiting trial.
The criminal proceedings had been set to begin in September this year.
