Kuala Lumpur: Amid raising a huge controversy over the recent marriage of Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh Pawar and his Malaysian girlfriend, Illi Najwa Saddique reportedly said that she has not changed her religion. The statement comes as Malaysian Religious Affairs Ministry asked Illi Najwa to clarify her religious status after marrying Manpreet Singh at a Sikh Gurudwara in India.
According to reports, her statement shared by Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique’s aide, stating that she has never changed her religion and remained a Muslim.
“I apologise for our ignorance. Manpreet had converted to Islam since last year”, she said in a shared letter.
She also claimed that Manpreet Singh had converted to Islam last year.
According to the letter, they first performed the Nikah ceremony on 16 December, a day before the marriage ceremony was conducted at a Gurudwara in Manpreet Singh’s native village in Mithapur.
Meanwhile, Johor government also jumped into the matter and asked JAINJ to investigate the controversial marriage between Illi Najwa and Manpreet Singh.