Former Sultanah submits application to Syariah Court

Her Highness Tunku Puan Zanariah binti Almarhum Tunku Ahmad had filed an application to Syariah Court to set aside an earlier court order that her late husband, Almarhum Sultan Iskandar al-Haj of Johor had divorced her on 23rd January 2009. Her Highness also wants the ruju' pronounced a week later after the purported divorce be declared invalid. In her affidavit in support of the application, she alleged that the state administration, especially the religious authorities were used in an attempt to defame her and Almarhum Sultan Iskandar.

Tunku Puan Zanariah said that the late ruler did not make any application to verify the alleged divorce, adding that she and the late Sultan Iskandar were both living together as lawful husband and wife in peace and harmony until the late Sultan demise on 22nd January 2010. Almarhum Sultan Iskandar was named as plaintiff in that case while Tunku Puan Zanariah was the defendant, meaning that the late ruler was initiating legal action against his wife.

However, Tunku Puan Zanariah said that she was not informed nor served with any papers of the court proceedings and only learned about it on September 30, 2013 through a letter sent by the Mufti of Johor, Datuk Mohd Tahrir Syamsuddin. Also, the Tunku Puan also stated that she was not informed when the then Menteri Besar of Johor, Datuk Abd Ghani Othman had on December 9, 2010 written a letter to her stripping her of the title Her Royal Highness Sultanah.

Her Highness Tunku Puan Zanariah was not present, but her lawyers, Afshah Arifin and Kamar Ainiah Kamaruzaman were in the court to file the documents. Outside the court, Tunku Puan Zanariah's youngest daughter, Tunku Masera stated that, she is disappointed over the way her mother had been treated. The case will be mentioned on January 20, 2014.