
In March 2015, Muslim intellectual Kassim Ahmad (pic) was charged at the Syariah High Court in Putrajaya with insulting Islam and defying religious authorities at a seminar in February.― Picture by Saw Siow Feng for the Malay Mail Online.
KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 — The Federal Court dismissed today a leave application by Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) and two others to reverse a Court of Appeal’s ruling favouring Muslim academic Kassim Ahmad.
The apex court panel lead by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum unanimously decided today to refuse granting permission to hear the merits of the appeal, after the previous appellate court declaration that Kassim’s arrest by Jawi was unlawful.
Malaysiakini reported that the panel, which also included Federal Court judges Tan Sri Zainun Ali and Datuk Balia Yusof Wahi, dismissed the appellants’ arguments regarding the jurisdiction of Civil Court in Shariah cases, and procedures of arrest and investigation.
The panel reportedly said the questions had been answered twice — when the Court of Appeal granted leave in Kassim’s appeal against High Court dismissing his leave application, and again when the same court heard his appeal and ruled in favour of him. Read more