Can an illegitimate child be named as the son or daughter of the biological father following the Court of Appeal decision?

Summary

This Bayan Linnas discusses the Court of Appeal decision allowing an illegitimate child to carry the biological father's name, by reviewing the National Fatwa Committee ruling and several state fatwas. The National Fatwa Committee rules that an illegitimate child cannot be lineally attributed to the man who caused the birth, so there is no mutual inheritance, no mahram relationship and no right to act as guardian. Sarawak rules that the child is named bin or binti Abdullah, while Negeri Sembilan prohibits registering the child under that man's name. Perlis permits a child born less than six months after the mother's marriage to take the husband's name unless he denies it.

Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.