PETALING JAYA, June 10 — Muhammad Nagahswaran Muniandy, the former husband of Loh Siew Hong, has died at the age of 38, according to Free Malaysia Today (FMT).

Nagahswaran’s death was confirmed by Loh’s lawyer, Shamsher Singh Thind. He had been embroiled in legal battles with Loh over custody of their three children and allegations of domestic violence.

The custody dispute began in 2020 when Nagahswaran, a Muslim convert, unilaterally took the children to Perlis and converted them to Islam.

FMT reported that court orders had already granted custody to Loh, starting with an interim order in December 2019 and progressing to full custody by March 2021.

Their divorce was finalised in September 2021.

Loh, who left Nagahswaran in 2019 citing domestic abuse, sought a habeas corpus order to reunite with her children in early 2022.

The High Court ruled in her favour, allowing her to regain custody. The children were previously placed in the care of preacher Nazirah Nanthakumari Abdullah.

In April 2024, the Federal Court ruled that both parents must consent to a child’s conversion, affirming that Loh’s children remained Hindus.

An appeal by the Perlis government to reinstate their Muslim status was dismissed this April, according to FMT.

Nagahswaran had a criminal record, including serving time in Kelantan prison for a drug-related offence, which was cited by Loh during the custody battle.

Last year, Nagahswaran was charged at the Sungai Petani sessions court for allegedly causing grievous hurt to Loh in 2019.

He pleaded not guilty and was released on RM10,000 bail, with the trial set to begin this September.