SEXUAL INNUENDOS IN MUSLIM MALAYSIA: HOW SHOCKING OF A SHARIAH JUDGE TO CALL NOOR FARIDA A 'FRUSTRATED' WOMAN

The Malay and Muslim communities need to make some serious introspection. When someone questions them, they threaten that person with both physical and verbal abuse, instead of attempting to see if there was any justification in the matter raised.

Last year, when G25 spokesman, Noor Farida Ariffin said that "personal sin", like khalwat (close proximity) should not be considered a crime, punishable by the state, she was threatened with rape. The authorities did not view the rape threat as a serious crime.

Yesterday, it was the turn of the Syariah Chief Justice, Ibrahim Lembut, who is also the Syariah Judiciary Department director-general, to hurl abuse at Noor Farida.

According to Ibrahim, Noor Farida was frustrated and therefore saw syariah laws, as unconstitutional.

He said, "Noor Farida is a frustrated person. All frustrated people are like this.

"When they were in the civil service, they didn't dare say these things.

"When they're retired, and have nothing, they start saying that this, that, everything is not right".

Eight things stand out.

First. Ibrahim Lembut would not have said this if the criticism, about khalwat, had come from a man. Malay men find women an easy target.

In the male-dominated Malay culture, this is a particularly abhorrent trait.

Two. Is this the best legal argument that the Chief Justice can muster?

One expects learned judges to make statements with more substance, rather than stupid and simplistic remarks like, "She is frustrated... All frustrated people are like this."

Three. Ibrahim's tirade is ample proof of the reason for the silence of many civil servants, when they see injustice, incompetence and corruption, whilst in office.

Bosses like Ibrahim don't invite constructive criticism. People of his calibre prefer making personal and shallow attacks.

Four. Ibrahim will have read that former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is Najib Abdul Razak's most prominent and vocal critic.

Would Ibrahim dare confront and admonish Mahathir with, "Now that you are retired, and have nothing, so you start to moan that everything is not right?"

Five. Noor Farida, like the rest of the compassionate world, knows that the moral police is a stain on Islam in Malaysia. The moral police are described as paid voyeurs of the state. People have died because of their actions. Islam is cheapened in the eyes of the public.

If Ibrahim wants his moral police to be seen to be fair, they should raid the five star hotels and luxury apartments, which prominent public personalities, including ministers and top civil servants, use for their trysts. Why raid only the budget hotels and rumah tumpangan?

Six. Ibrahim claimed that public statements, such as those made by Noor Farida, should be handled differently. He said, "There are ways to manage this. So, for us, we will debate this in court. Whatever they want to say, we can debate it in court”. (sic)

Can he honestly say that contentious things like the khalwat laws and the abuse by the moral police, will be debated in court? Which court? As far as the rakyat is aware, this government shies away from debate.

Seven. With bosses like Ibrahim, most civil servants will wait till they have retired because a vindictive administration will not be content with verbal attacks. Outspoken and brilliant civil servants, have not been promoted and have been transferred to areas where they are safely out of the government's way.

This government does not tolerate criticism, not even constructive criticism.

Eight. The rakyat regrets the terrible decline of the judges, in this nation, over the past 30 years.

- See more at: http://theantdaily.com/Main/Top-man-is-proof-of-civil-servants-who-play-dumb#sthash.ptbHIe5L.dpuf