Groups say Siti Nuramira's arrest by Jawi 'like a witch hunt'

 

Several rights groups criticised the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) over its arrest of the woman whose stand-up routine last month triggered controversy.

In a joint statement, Sisters in Islam, Suaram and Komuniti Muslim Universal said the arrest felt more like a “witch hunt”.

This is because the arrest took place after she had just settled posting bail at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Jalan Duta.

The groups alleged that there was a risk of double jeopardy if Jawi proceeded to charge Siti Nuramira Abdullah Section 7 Syariah Criminal Offenses (Federal Territories) Enactment for allegedly insulting Islam.

They said that the Syariah charge was similar to Section 298A of the Penal Code, for the offence of causing disharmony, disunity, enmity hatred, ill-will, or prejudicing maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion, between persons or groups of persons professing the same or different religions.

The groups cited the 1986 case of Jumali Adnan v PP, where the court stated that any charges made against the accused must be distinct and different.

The groups also rebuked the opposing argument in Mohd Yusoff Samadi v AG, where the accused was charged in criminal court for criminal charges and the other in civil court.

“It differs from Siti Nuramira’s because both her charges are of criminal nature, and she is being tried for a criminal offence under both laws,” they said.

Siti Nuramira Abdullah

They also pointed out that both Jawi and the Attorney-General Chambers were under the purview of the federal government.

The civil society groups added that it was excessive for Jawi to have eight enforcement officers arrest a nonviolent person for a nonviolent crime.

“Some of our politicians whose crimes affect the nation as a whole but did not receive such attention and were not arrested by eight officers.

“Jawi should channel this manpower towards other areas that require more urgent attention affecting communities in difficult and dire financial and non-financial circumstances, particularly the enforcement of nafkah (maintenance) payment to children,” they said.

Separate Syariah charge

One of Siti Nuramira’s lawyers, Ramesh NP Chandran, told media today that the religious officers were arresting his client and seeking to charge her at the Syariah court tomorrow or the day after.

Yesterday, it was reported that Siti Nuramira succeeded in raising sufficient funds via crowdfunding to post her bail in her Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court criminal case of causing ill-will via her open-mic routine at the Crackhouse Comedy Club in Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

However, on July 15, The Vibes reported that Siti Nuramira would be charged separately in the Syariah court for allegedly insulting Islam.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Ahmad Marzuk Shaary confirmed this to The Vibes’ sister portal Getaran.

Last Wednesday, Siti Nuramira, 26, and her boyfriend Alexander Navin Vijayachandran, 38, were hauled before separate criminal sessions courts to be charged over her stand-up comedy routine.

Before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, she claimed trial for causing enmity and ill-will with the performance.

Previously, a video of a woman, alleged to be Siti Nuramira, who took off her headscarf and baju kurung on stage at a comedy club had gone viral on social media.

Crackhouse Comedy Club said it banned the woman and her partner from the venue immediately after her stand-up performance and proceeded to lodge a police report.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall has since suspended the club’s licence.

The suspension, however, received criticisms from comedians and netizens who believed the club should not be punished for the woman’s action during an open-mic event on the premises. - Mkini