It looks that there is some light at the end of the tunnel for 61-year-old cleaner M Rukumony who took the Amanah Raya Berhadand the Koperasi Angkatan Tentera Malaysia Berhad to court over an insurance claim. Read my earlier report here.
What happened was that the co-operative took out a policy on her son who was in the army but had refused to pay her the RM56,300 when her son died. Instead, the money was deposited with Amanah Raya.
Rukumony’s son, a bachelor, had made a trust deed on 6 Sep 1999 and made her the beneficiary. However, the co-operative said that as he converted to Islam on 31 Dec of the same year, she could not inherit the money because she was a non-muslim.
She took the matter to court and the case was heard on 27 Nov 2007. A settlement may be offered by Amanah Raya, according to this news item in The Star (28 Nov 2007):
PENANG: The Amanah Raya Berhad has offered to settle a suit by a Hindu woman who could not inherit the insurance monies left by her son who died a Muslim.
High Court judge Justice John Louis O’Hara fixed Jan 29 for mention pending the settlement between Amanah Raya and 61-year-old cleaner M. Rukumony.
The woman had also named the Koperasi Angkatan Tentera Malaysia Berhad in her claim dated April 15, 2005.
She claimed that her son E. Ragu, 23, who was an army ranger, was found in a coma at Kem Wardieburn Setapak Kuala Lumpur, and died at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital on Aug 2, 2000.
In her claim, Rukumony said the co-operative had taken out a policy on her son but refused to pay her the RM56,300 and instead had deposited it with Amanah Raya.
Ragu, a bachelor, had made a trust deed on Sept 6, 1999, and an assignment under Section 23 of the Civil Law Act 1956 on Feb 1, 2000, making Rukumony the beneficiary.
The co-operative said Ragu converted to Islam on Dec 31, 1999, and his Muslim name was Mohamed Redzuan Abdullah Ellaiappan.
It claimed that under the Syariah Law, Rukumony could not inherit the property of her deceased son because she is a non-Muslim.
The Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council has intervened in the case.
Counsel Darshan Singh Khaira represented Rukumony while Rosmaidar Mustafa represented Amanah Raya. Abdul Muiz Samsuri appeared for the council.
Rukumony was not present in court yesterday.