Court annuls suit by Hindu groups to probe controversial preacher Zamri
The NGOs claim the authorities had failed to act against preacher Muhammad Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu despite their police reports.
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has allowed an application by controversial preacher Muhammad Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu to annul a suit filed against him and the government over its alleged failure to act on his statements that purportedly insulted other races and religions.
Judicial commissioner Mohd Arief Emran Arifin also allowed a similar application made by the government.
The judge ordered Pertubuhan Hindhu Dharma Malaysia and Malaysian Hindu Youth Council to pay RM10,000 in costs to Zamri.
Lawyer Shanker Sundaram, representing two Hindu groups that sought to compel the police to arrest and investigate Zamri, said the judge ruled his clients had no cause of action.
“I have instructions to file an appeal,” Shanker told FMT after the ruling was made during virtual proceedings following submission by the parties.
On April 28 last year, A Radhakrishnan and C Arunkumar, who are both members of the NGOs Pertubuhan Hindhu Dharma Malaysia and Malaysian Hindu Youth Council, sued the government, the police and Zamri, claiming that the authorities had failed to exercise their duty to maintain peace by refusing to take any action against Zamri.
They said Zamri had posted nine videos on his social media accounts that touched on the sensitivities of Hindus in the country.
“We believe that he is a threat to the nation’s security, peace and harmony as he is a person who encourages violence and would threaten the members of the public,” they said in their suit.
They claimed that police did not conduct a thorough investigation on Zamri based on the police reports lodged.
“Thus, we seek a court declaration that Zamri is a threat to the country’s safety and we also move the court to issue a police order to arrest and investigate him,” they said.
Radhakrishnan and Arunkumar also demanded that Zamri apologise to Hindus in the country and pay RM1 million in damages to the two NGOs.
Zamri, the police, home ministry and the government then filed the striking-out action.
He claimed that the suit, filed by Radhakrishnan and Arunkumar, did not disclose any reasonable cause of action.
“The plaintiffs failed to show the impugned statements came from me or any of my social media accounts.
“This lawsuit is also an abuse of the court process,” he said.
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has allowed an application by controversial preacher Muhammad Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu to annul a suit filed against him and the government over its alleged failure to act on his statements that purportedly insulted other races and religions.
Judicial commissioner Mohd Arief Emran Arifin also allowed a similar application made by the government.
The judge ordered Pertubuhan Hindhu Dharma Malaysia and Malaysian Hindu Youth Council to pay RM10,000 in costs to Zamri.
Lawyer Shanker Sundaram, representing two Hindu groups that sought to compel the police to arrest and investigate Zamri, said the judge ruled his clients had no cause of action.
“I have instructions to file an appeal,” Shanker told FMT after the ruling was made during virtual proceedings following submission by the parties.
On April 28 last year, A Radhakrishnan and C Arunkumar, who are both members of the NGOs Pertubuhan Hindhu Dharma Malaysia and Malaysian Hindu Youth Council, sued the government, the police and Zamri, claiming that the authorities had failed to exercise their duty to maintain peace by refusing to take any action against Zamri.
They said Zamri had posted nine videos on his social media accounts that touched on the sensitivities of Hindus in the country.
“We believe that he is a threat to the nation’s security, peace and harmony as he is a person who encourages violence and would threaten the members of the public,” they said in their suit.
They claimed that police did not conduct a thorough investigation on Zamri based on the police reports lodged.
“Thus, we seek a court declaration that Zamri is a threat to the country’s safety and we also move the court to issue a police order to arrest and investigate him,” they said.
Radhakrishnan and Arunkumar also demanded that Zamri apologise to Hindus in the country and pay RM1 million in damages to the two NGOs.
Zamri, the police, home ministry and the government then filed the striking-out action.
He claimed that the suit, filed by Radhakrishnan and Arunkumar, did not disclose any reasonable cause of action.
“The plaintiffs failed to show the impugned statements came from me or any of my social media accounts.
“This lawsuit is also an abuse of the court process,” he said.
Kerajaan allah at work!
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