Johor Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Tosrin Jarvanthi said the department was currently gathering information on the wedding.
He said the investigation results would be presented to the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
“I ask all Muslims to remain patient and avoid misinterpreting this issue. Leave it to JAINJ to investigate,” he said at a press conference today.
Tosrin added that JAINJ had not summoned anyone, including Illi Najwa’s family members, for questioning yet, as the department was still focusing on collecting evidence.
Asked whether the young woman was legally married in Johor, Tosrin declined to comment further and emphasised that investigations were still under way.
Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh Pawar took Illi Najwa, whom he had known for several years, as his wife during a ceremony in Mithapur, near Jalandhar, in Punjab, last Wednesday.
Manpreet, 28, wore a Punjabi wedding suit complete with turban, while Illi Najwa, 28, was attired in a Punjabi wedding dress. The ceremony raised questions among netizens about the woman’s religious status.
NST had reported that the woman managed to obtain special permission from Malaysian authorities and India’s home affairs ministry for the wedding.
Earlier today, Sultan Ibrahim weighed in on the controversy, advising the public to avoid jumping to conclusions on the issue, as Illi Najwa had yet to declare that she wanted to leave Islam.
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