Jais summons: Lawyer explains clients' no-show

The legal firm representing 10 out of the 12 Muslims who attended a fund-raising dinner that was raided by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) officers and police last week, today explained why their clients did not show up as per the Islamic authority's orders

"Upon examining the Notice Orders, we noted some irregularities and sought for a deferment of our clients' attendance before Jais on the morning of 9 August 2011, pending clarification from Jais on queries raised by us through our letter of 8 August 2011.

"This was necessary in order for us to properly advise our clients," senior counsel Lim Heng Seng of Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill said in a statement today.

According to Lim, the pertinent queries they raised to Jais were:

• What legal provisions enable Jais to issue the Notice Orders requiring their clients to present themselves;

• The offence or details of the offence Jais is investigating;

• The offenders, if any, who were being investigated by Jais;

• The real purpose requiring their client's attendance before Jais, whether to attend 'pre-counselling sessions' as offenders or merely to assist Jais in its investigations, if any.

Lim said Jais answered the queries via a letter earlier today, informing them that the Islamic authority was investigating a case "involving the offence of persuading, influencing or inciting a Muslim to change his faith".

This issue, the lawyer explained, falls under the Non-Islamic Religions [Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims] Enactment 1988 and that the firm would advise its clients accordingly.

'Arrest warrants issued'

Jais has reportedly applied for arrest warrants to be served on the 12, after they failed to turn up at its office yesterday as per the notice orders summoning them.

The 12 Muslims had their details recorded by Jais officers who raided the fund-raising dinner held in a building on the grounds of the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) last week.

Jais is claiming that the raid was based on evidence that the church was engaged in proselytising Muslims.

However, Christians leaders have vehemently denied any such activity and have called for an explanation from Jais.

Neither the DUMC nor Harapan Komuniti, the NGO which organised the dinner, have confirmed or denied the charges of proselytising, but have demanded proof and questioned what they labelled as "high-handed methods" used by Jais.

According to the law firm, Jais issued each of the 10 with a Notice Order dated Aug 3, requiring their attendance before the Islamic authority for a "pre-counselling session" on the morning of Aug 9. - Malaysiakini