All individuals below the age of 18 years old need to have consent from their legal guardians when making decisions with legal implications. Why is that so? Because they need advises from matured-thinking adults to help them make the correct choices (hopefully) in life. These guardians are deemed responsible for whatever actions taken and should be able to dispense useful advises based on life as well as personal experiences.
Coming back to the topic, how can a 15-month old child be converted to another religion solely by the consent of only 1 parent? If a person’s religion and faith is not being documented legally and does not affect family members then it is fine. However becoming a Muslim most of the time (please do not be offended, I have not heard of any instances which anyone is being converted from Islam to any other religion legally) is a one-way ticket in Malaysia. In order to change your believes, a Muslim will need to seek the approval from Syariah Court, and that I doubt will be granted easily.
a 15-month baby has yet to have the required mental ability to make decisions, left alone those which will change her way of life forever. Obtaining consent from both parents should be the correct way to do this, even though both adults are no longer together. If they need to get it done, then they will need to sit down and talk things over. As an individual still fully dependent on her parents, who gives 1 parent the rights to decide on behalf of all? Is that parent more dominant than the other? In what way?
Individuals should be given the freedom to choose his/her own believes in this world. We should be given the right to choose what to or not to believe in. Religion and faith should not be inherited, unless it is by choice. Forcing one to believe in something which they in fact do not will not yield any results, because deep down inside you and I know there will be something else.
So what do you think?
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