Jawi officer: I didn’t know Siti Kasim was at transgender event as a lawyer

Enforcement officer Siti Nor Jihan Saleh says she was unaware that the activist was acting on behalf of the organiser of a transgender event in 2016.

Siti Kasim (middle) outside the Magistrate’s Court with former Terengganu shariah judge Ismail Yahya (right).

KUALA LUMPUR: A Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) officer told the Magistrate’s Court today she was unaware that lawyer-activist Siti Kasim was present as a legal counsel at a closed-door transgender event two years ago.

Enforcement officer Siti Nor Jihan Saleh said she was not aware that the lawyer was acting on behalf of the pageant organiser when questioning why Jawi conducted the raid at the event.

“We were shouting at each other because she refused to listen to our explanation for why we were there,” she said when asked by Siti’s lawyer Suzana Norlihan Alias whether she had heard of the activist.

However, when further questioned by Suzana, she denied that she had intended to provoke Siti.

Suzana then asked whether, as a lawyer, Siti had the responsibility to question Jawi’s presence at a closed-door event and to demand that Jawi produce an arrest or search warrant.

“I don’t know,” Nor Jihan replied.

Last year, Siti claimed trial to a charge under Section 186 of the Penal Code of preventing Nor Jihan, a public servant, from discharging her duties during Jawi’s raid on a transgender event on April 3, 2016.

The offence carries a jail term of not more than two years, a maximum fine of RM10,000 or both, upon conviction.

A video of Siti shouting at Jawi officers, asking if they had a warrant to raid the closed-door event, went viral on social media.

Nor Jihan also said the Jawi officers had arrested Siti for obstructing them from doing their job.

When asked by Suzana whether Jawi had behaved in a prejudiced manner by arresting Siti and not another individual who had allegedly flashed her breasts at her, Nor Jihan said no.

“There is no specific provision under shariah law to criminalise people who show their breasts,” she said.

The hearing continues before magistrate Maizatul Munirah Abd Rahman on July 27. - FMT