KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 — Lawyer Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid said she lodged three police reports over the death threats she has been receiving for challenging the constitutionality of Kelantan’s state laws.

The lawyer said she had lost count of the number of threats she received.

“There have been countless threats on my life, along with numerous other online attacks and [threats to] ‘slaughter’ me.

“I have lost count of how many threats there have been because these individuals do not understand,” she told English daily New Straits Times in its podcast.

She clarified that the constitutional challenge was not political, neither was it an attack on Islam.

“Now they have even questioned the prime minister when it has nothing to do with the prime minister or any particular political party,” she reportedly said.

Nik Elin said she hopes the public would be properly informed on the details of why her legal team had challenged Kelantan’s state law, instead of blindly following others.

“If only they would take the time to read and understand the laws and the reasons behind the challenge, they would understand. All they seem to do is blindly follow the instructions of their political leaders.

“Islam to us is about love, mercy, and peace, their actions are the opposite of this,” she reportedly said.

Nik Elin and her daughter Tengku Yasmin Natasha Tengku Abdul Rahman challenged the constitutionality and validity of 18 provisions under the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code (l) Enactment 2019, claiming that the Kelantan State Legislature does not have the power to enact laws on these offences because there are federal laws covering the same.

The Federal Court decided in their favour on Friday and declared that 18 provisions of Kelantan’s Shariah Criminal Code (I) Enactment 2019 were invalid, as the Kelantan state legislative assembly had overstepped its powers or had no powers to make such laws.

Following the win, Nik Elin said the Federal Court’s ruling on the constitutionality of several provisions under the Kelantan Shariah criminal enactment is a testament to the Federal Constitution as the supreme law of the nation.

Acknowledging the court’s ruling, Nik Elin said her challenge had nothing to do with Islamic doctrines but rather the competency of state legislative assemblies as determined by the Federal Court. - malaymail