PUTRAJAYA - Umno sent four representatives to the Federal Court today to observe the controversial Negri Sembilan transgender case, in what is believed to be the party’s first time holding a watching brief in a court matter.
Lawyer Datuk Khairul Anwar Rahmat who led the group, pointed out that the party has a direct interest in the case as it represents its over three million Muslim members.
He said the details of the case will be presented to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Umno president.
“This is our first-ever case... This shows that Umno is serious in matters of Islamic jurisdiction,” Khairul told Malay Mail Online outside the courtroom.
Khairul and three other Umno lawyers identified themselves as members of Umno’s legal unit called Bona Fide Friends of Umno.
The lawyer, who is the group’s chief secretariat, said the appearance was prompted by Umno’s move to approach the transgender community as part of its agenda of inclusiveness.
According to state news agency Bernama, Bona Fide Friends of Umno was formed in November last year to be an alternative platform for the “silent majority” of legal practitioners in the country to express their opinions.
Its co-ordinator, Datuk Razali Ibrahim, denied that the group was established under the Umno Constitution and Legal Bureau to take on the Malaysian Bar Council, but rather to provide counterpoint to the body’s stand on issues.
The Federal Court today allowed an application by the Negri Sembilan government and four other applicants to challenge the Court of Appeal’s ruling against an anti-crossdressing state Shariah law.
The five-man bench said, however, that the court will only consider whether Section 66 of the Negri Sembilan Shariah Criminal Enactment 1992, which criminalises cross-dressing, contravenes Articles 5(1), 8(1), 8(2), 9(2) and 10(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution. - Malay Mail
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