KUCHING: Sarawak activist, Peter John Jaban, is dismayed that controversial Islamic preacher Syakir Nasoha has not been charged with making offensive comments against non-Muslims and their practises.
He said the decision by the Attorney-General is especially troubling to the Dayaks in Malaysia and neighbouring Indonesia.
“The decision was communicated by letter from the Bukit Aman CID Prosecution and Legal Division (D5) to Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) President S.Shashi Kumar, the civil society movement which started a police report campaign against Syakir.
“In the letter, the police said the AG’s Chamber had ordered them not to pursue the matter of Islamic preacher Syakir Nasoha’s disparaging video comments any further, claiming that the issue had been taken out of context and that it did not touch on religious sensitivity in the country,” he said in a press statement today (July 16).
Peter, also a vice secretary of GHRF, said on October 2021 some 3,000 reports were lodged nationwide against the preacher after a video showing him making comments against other religions and the Dayak community went viral in Borneo states and in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Syakir then was 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.
“We are currently living in a Malaysia where a woman can be arrested at a comedy club in Kuala Lumpur while exercising her right to freedom of speech. In this case, Siti Nuramira Abdullah was charged under Section 298A of the Penal Code for causing disharmony, disunity or enmity, hatred or ill will on the grounds of religion.”
Towards this end he asked why similar action was not taken against Syakir for making offensive comments against non-Muslims and their practises.
“Others will also deem they are untouchable, and they will think that they can keep repeating this and they will not be charged for sensitive comments aimed against minorities, including the Orang Asal of this country,” he said.
