Ex-air steward seeks court approval to prosecute 2 for insult to religion

 

Former air steward S Shashi Kumar said he had inquired with police on the status of his reports against two preachers but there was no response. (File pic)

SHAH ALAM: A former air steward has filed a complaint with a magistrate here to commence private prosecution against two Muslim converts for allegedly insulting non-Islamic faiths and their religious practices.

S Shashi Kumar will appear before Mohamad Redza Azhar Rezali for an inquiry on March 12 at 2.30pm.

He initiated the action against Firdaus Wong Wai Hung, who is the president and founder of the Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM), and Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu, both said to be associated with controversial preacher Zakir Naik.

Lawyer T Gunaseelan, who is representing Shashi, said his client made the complaint under Section 133 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

“Redza will serve a notice to the deputy public prosecutor informing him that a complaint has been received,” he said.

Firdaus is said to have insulted non-Islamic religions, particularly the Hindu faith, through his Facebook and YouTube postings.

In a statutory declaration (SD), Shashi said he had made a police report against Firdaus in January 2018 after having seen the contents on both the social media platforms.

“The contents have given rise to hatred and insults toward non-Muslims in Malaysia, and are likely to cause breach of peace,” he said, adding that many others had also made similar reports.

Shashi said the police sent a memorandum to then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the home, communications and multimedia, and national unity ministers, in addition to the Islamic Affairs Department and the Attorney-General’s Chambers in October 2018.

In a separate SD, Shashi said he had also lodged a police report against Zamri, a freelance preacher, in June last year for allegedly insulting the rituals and practices of Hinduism on his Facebook account which had gone viral.

“His posting is likely to cause hatred and upset the religious harmony among the people of different faiths,” he said.

Shashi said he had inquired with police on the status of his reports against the two but there was no response.

Gunaseelan, who is assisted by S Ravichandran, said should the magistrate find basis for the reports lodged, charges could be brought under the Sedition Act, the Penal Code and the Communications and Multimedia Act.

“In the past, magistrates have allowed individuals to conduct prosecution for certain offences,” noted Gunaseelan.

The lawyer said his client would leave it to the prosecution to act on the police reports if the DPP was willing to take it up. Otherwise, Shashi will ask the magistrate to give him the authority to prosecute the duo. - FMT