KOTA BAHARU, March 11 (Bernama) -- The Kelantan Syariah Appelate/High Court today confirmed that the Sultan of Kelantan was not the plaintiff in the filing of a divorce case involving his second wife Elia Suhana Ahmad.

Its Chief Registrar Abu Bakar Abdullah Kutty said a woman, Nik Rorhana Wan Abdul Rahman, 60, had acted as the plaintiff.

According to him, in terms of procedure, the registration of the case was valid and that the registrar could accept the filing of the divorce case without having to consider who the plaintiff was.

"Whether the divorce is valid under Islamic laws will depend on the decision of the court which hears the case.

"I can only confirm that an application to register the divorce between the Kelantan Sultan and his second wife Che Puan Elia has been made based on the documents and files that are with me... that's all," he told reporters here today.

Abu Bakar, however, declined to say much who Nik Rorhana was or her relationship with the Sultan to be able file the case.

He had been asked to comment on the status of the "talak tiga" (irrevocable divorce) case claimed to have been filed by the Sultan at the Kota Baharu Syariah High Court on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, a syarie lawyer, Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar had issued a statement to Bernama that read:"We have been ordered by His Highness the Sultan of Kelantan Tuanku Ismail Petra Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Yahya Petra to file an application for verification of divorce between him and Elia Suhana Ahmad.

"Today (Tuesday), we have filed an application in the Kota Baharu Syariah High Court for the confirmation the "talak tiga" divorce that was pronounced by the Sultan himself on Elia Suhana Binti Ahmad on Feb 12 2010 before several witnesses, and the court has registered the case with 9am on March 21 set for the hearing," he said.

Abu Bakar also confirmed that March 21 had been set for the hearing.

He said Nik Rorhana, who lives in Taman Petranis, Jalan Sultananah Zainab II, Kota Baharu, was the plaintiff and Elia Suhana Ahmad the defendant.

"Tuanku (the sultan) is not the plaintiff, it is not as the media had reported before this," he added.