Dog trainer Maznah released under bond

Dog trainer Maznah Mohd Yusof, who has been remanded over a controversial Hari Raya greeting video she made, has been released under bond.

According to her lawyer S Visvanathan Nair, she was released at about 12.20pm today with her sister standing as surety.

This follows an application by the police under Section 118, which deals with witnesses and complainants in a case.

“She is currently at the Segamat police district headquarters lock-up to collect her belongings,” he said when contacted. 

Investigating officer Othman Mantaha said police will not be asking for an extention of remand as it may not be granted by the court. 

“In any case, it would be troublesome for her,” he said. 

He said that they had applied for a bond so that she can be called back to give further statements for the duration of the investigations.

“As long as she is not charged, she can be considered a suspect or a witness in the case,” he said.

Latheefa Koya, who acted for Maznah in Kuala Lumpur, however said that this is “wrong procedure” as Section 118 only applies to complainants or witnesses in a case.

“In this case, (Maznah) is clearly not a witness not a complainant, but will potentially be charged. Don't tell me they are charging the dogs and she is the witness,” Latheefa said when contacted. 

Meanwhile, Othman said that there is still “a lot” that needs to be done in the investigations, including “sending the case items for checks in terms of data”.

Asked about the multiple reports lodged against Maznah all over Malaysia, Othman said police investigations will be centralised in Segamat, while Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission investigations will be done in Kuala Lumpur.

“However, I have only been informed of one other police report lodged in Penampang, Sabah,” he said.  

Maznah, who lives in Bukit Beruntung, Selangor, was taken to Segamat yesterday morning as the first police report against her was lodged in the Johor town, but her lawyers cite this as “abuse of power”.

Dogs and mosques

Maznah was arrested in Bukit Beruntung on Wednesday and held overnight at the Commercial Crime Investigations Department lock-up in Bukit Perdana, Kuala Lumpur. 

She is being investigated under Section 298A of the Penal Code, which deals with causing disharmony on grounds of religion, and Section 4 of the Sedition Act.

She has caught flak over a Hari Raya video she posted three years ago, which among others shows her cleaning her feet and then her dog's leg while the takbir raya - Muslim call for prayer reserved for Hari Raya - and a Hari Raya song was played in the background. 

Bernama reports that the video, which was recently reposted by aYouTube user under the title ‘Video Menghina Islam. 1 Hari di Hari Raya’, also showed her walking her dogs near a mosque. 

However,Malaysiakini did not spot any building which clearly looks like a mosque in the 1 minute and 45 second clip, which also shows her walking her dogs in what appears to be a residential area.

Maznah, who also goes by the nickname Chetz, said she did not insultIslam and was only showing how cleanliness should also apply to dogs.

“I love my religion. I think these people should learn about their religion first, and not misinterpret my video, which was made three years ago.

“My religion has taught me about the importance of cleanliness... hence this why in the video, I am cleaning myself and my dogs,” she said.