The former Johor Sultanah, Tuanku Zanariah Tunku Ahmad, has filed an application in the Syariah Court to set aside an earlier court order that her late husband Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail had divorced her on January 23, 2009.
She also wants the ruju’ (resumption of conjugal relationship) pronounced a week later after the purported divorce be declared invalid.
In her affidavit in support of the application which was filed today, she alleged that the state administration, especially the religious authorities, were used in an attempt to defame her and Sultan Iskandar.
Tuanku Zanariah said that the late ruler did not make any application to verify the alleged divorce, adding that she and the late sultan were both living together as lawful husband and wife in peace and harmony until Sultan Iskandar died on January 22, 2010.
Sultan Iskandar was named as plaintiff in that case while Tuanku Zanariah was the defendant, meaning that the late ruler had initiated legal action against his wife.
However, Tuanku Zanariah said that she was not informed nor served with any papers of the court proceedings and only learnt about it on September 30 this year from a letter sent by Johor Mufti Datuk Mohd Tahrir Syamsuddin.
"From the Mufti’s letter, it is apparent that the state fatwa committee had abused its power by making a ruling on August 6, 2010, that Sultan Iskandar and Tuanku Zanariah were divorced and that the ruju’ by Almarhum is invalid," a statement issued by Tuanku Zanariah's office read.
Subsequently, Tuanku Zanariah said, then menteri besar of Johor, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, had on December 9, 2010, written a letter to her stripping her of the title “Yang Maha Mulia Sultanah”.
She said she was also not informed of the Menteri Besar's decision but only knew about it from the Mufti’s letter, some three years later.
"A gross injustice has been done where the various organs of state have been blatantly used, in particular by the religious authorities," she said, adding that the suit was filed to clear her good name as well as Sultan Iskandar, whose reputation has been equally tarnished but is not around to defend himself.
Tuanku Zanariah was not present, but her lawyers, Afshah Arifin and Kamar Ainiah Kamaruzaman, were in court to file the documents.
The case will be mentioned on January 20.
Outside the court, Tuanku Zanariah's youngest daughter Tunku Masera Iskandar said that she is disappointed over the way her mother had been treated.
"I hope justice will be served," she said. TMI
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