This Content Is Only For Subscribers
KUCHING, July 31: Five groups today filed a judicial review against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and Attorney General (AG) over their failure to prosecute Islamic preacher Syakir Nasoha, who allegedly made offensive remarks towards the Dayaks.
The five groups are the Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF), Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), Sarawak Association for People’s Aspiration, Ex-Students of Chinese Schools, and Pertubuhan Malaysia Tamilar Munnetra Kalagam.
The leave application was heard before Judge Dato Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid at Kuala Lumpur High Court today. A judgement will be delivered on Sept 26 at 2.30pm.
Led by GHRF president Shashi Kumar and deputy president Peter John Jaban, the group who filed the application through Messrs Gunaseelan & Associates want a declaration that the refusal to act against Syakir was unlawful and an abuse of power on the part of IGP and AG.
This case followed Syakir’s comment against other religions and the Dayak community during one hour and a half-long sermon at Abu Bakar Mosque, Bakar Arang, Sg Petani, Kedah, in 2017.
His action was recorded in a one-minute video which went viral in Borneo States and Kalimantan, Indonesia, in October 2021.
Syakir was later investigated under Section 505(c) of the Penal Code for making statements conducive to public mischief with intent to incite the community to cause them to commit an office against other communities and Section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998 for abuse of network services.
However, Attorney General Chambers (AGC) has ordered the police not to pursue the matter of Syakir’s disparaging video comments any further, claiming that the issue had been taken out of context and did not touch on religious sensitivity in the country.
According to a statement today, Peter John has called on the unity government to implement a Racial and Religious Hate Act to address matters such as racism, fanaticism, and extremism.
He also said GHRF, supported by 62 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), had submitted a memorandum to the office of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya on March 10, 2023, but there was no response to date. — DayakDaily
