Day: January 27, 2017

Four Indonesians lose bid to review Islamic deviancy charge

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bolhassan (right) speaks to journalists outside the courtroom at KL High Court in Kuala Lumpur January 27, 2017. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa for the MMO.

Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bolhassan (right) speaks to journalists outside the courtroom at KL High Court in Kuala Lumpur January 27, 2017. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa for the MMO.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — The High Court today dismissed four Indonesians’ application for judicial review of Islamic authorities’ decision to prosecute them as followers of Muhammad Zubir Amir Amir Abdullah who claims to be the Imam Mahdi.

Imam Mahdi, in Islam, is the Messiah prophesied to come at the last judgement to save mankind. Islamic authorities have declared Zubir and his followers as deviants.

Speaking to reporters after the proceedings in chambers, Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bol Hassan said High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Justice Hanipah Farikullah dismissed the application and ordered to four to pay RM3,000 as cost.

“The judge rules that the decision made at the Shariah Court cannot be challenged at the civil court,” he said. Read more →

Death in custody: Govt offers lower compensation to man’s kin

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Source: FMT News

The government admits responsibility in P Chandran's death but is appealing against the compensation awarded. Pic from FMT News.

The government admits responsibility in P Chandran’s death but is appealing against the compensation awarded. Pic from FMT News.

PETALING JAYA: Putrajaya has appealed against the award of RM200,000 in exemplary damages to the family of a lorry driver who died in a police lock-up after his medical needs were not attended to.

Lawyer M Visvanathan said the Attorney-General’s Chambers served his firm a copy of the notice appeal last week.

“The government has admitted responsibility for the death of P Chandran and is not appealing against liability.

“However it only wants to set aside the award of RM200,000 to the next-of-kin of Chandran,” Visvanathan told FMT.

In his judgment on Jan 9, High Court judge S Nantha Balan held the police liable for the death of Chandran in the Dang Wangi lock-up four years ago.

Nantha awarded a total of RM357,000 in damages to Chandran’s widow, N Selvi, and daughter, C Rita, for negligence and abuse of public office. Read more →

Malaysia urged to stop rapists escaping by marrying victims

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Source: FMT News

Human Rights Watch says certain Malaysian laws violate the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which Malaysia has ratified.

Human Rights Watch says certain Malaysian laws violate the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which Malaysia has ratified.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should urgently reform the law to better protect rape victims and disallow child marriages, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.

This is to prevent rapists from offering to marry their victims to escape punishment.

Noting that survivors of rape often say they are left with devastating, sometimes lifelong, trauma., HRW asks: “Imagine how much worse this pain would be if you were forced to marry your rapist and share a home and bed with him.”

HRW says local organisations have documented cases where men who raped underage girls – in one case a girl of 12 – have attempted to evade criminal charges by marrying the girl.

They are able to do this, it says in an article on its website, because marital rape is not a crime in Malaysia.

Although men who marry their victim can still be prosecuted for rape committed before the marriage, and this has happened in a few cases, the law makes it easier for rape to be swept under the carpet through marriage, it notes. Read more →