Friday, May 13, 2022

Naza boss asks shariah court to enhance Maria’s jail term



Naza boss asks shariah court to enhance Maria’s jail term


Naza boss SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin has filed a cross-appeal against Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah.


KUALA LUMPUR: Naza group chairman SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin has asked the shariah court to enhance a seven-day jail sentence on Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah over her criticism of a jail term on his former wife.

Faisal filed a cross-appeal to the shariah court, saying Maria’s appeal against her sentence should not be considered because of the “blatant disrespect” she had shown to the shariah judiciary.


Maria had been found guilty of contempt of court for a statement she made criticising an earlier shariah court decision to sentence Faisal’s former wife Emilia Hanafi to seven days’ jail, also for contempt of court.

Faisal said in his appeal that Maria’s challenge to the seven-day jail sentence indicated that she had no sense of remorse or regret over her actions.


He said the shariah high court had rejected Maria’s earlier appeal as she was found to have no respect for the court order by issuing baseless remarks that have sullied the shariah court’s image and integrity.

The shariah high court sentenced Maria to seven days’ in jail for contempt of court over a blog post in September 2019 which said “Muslim women are still being discriminated (against) under Malaysia’s shariah legal system.”

The posting was about the shariah court’s decision to sentence Emilia Hanafi to seven days in prison for rescheduling his visitation dates for her children. Maria said the jail term was a grave injustice and a “total disgrace to the judicial system”.

The shariah high court said Emilia had failed several times to produce her three children aged eight to 13 despite a consent judgement allowing Faisal visiting rights.


Shariah high court judge Fouzi Mokhtar said Maria’s description of the contempt proceedings against Emilia as being a form of “discrimination” against Muslim women by the shariah court system was false, and made without much research into the proceedings.

He said Maria, as an MP, should have utilised the resources at her disposal to get an accurate picture of the proceedings before commenting.

The shariah high court has stayed Maria’s sentencing pending an appeal.

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