Political & judicial authority

Issues concerning democracy, citizenship, law, politics, media, religion / Church and society, ...

Sedition Act Is An Unwanted Relic From Colonial Times, Says NUCC

The National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) rebuffed criticism of its proposed replacements for the Sedition Act, pointing out that the existing law is a leftover from the British colonists who once ruled the country.

The council’s Working Committee on Law and Policy chairman Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa and the committee’s member Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah pointed out that the law which came the end of the Second World War in 1945, was aimed at cracking down on dissent and to suppress freedom movements. Read more »

Attorney General Fails In Appeal Against Acquittal Of Fr. Paulino

High Court Judicial Commissioner, Choong Siew Kim found that the Attorney General had failed to establish a prima case against Rev. Fr. Paulino Miranda.

Fr. Paulino together with 20 others were previously acquitted by the Sessions Court on 18th September 2013. Read more »

MAIS, JAIS Want Seized Bibles Disposed

The Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) are now seeking a court ruling which will enable them to dispose over 300 bibles seized from the Bible Society Malaysia (BSM) on January 2.

This comes hours after a statement from MAIS saying that they will not return the bibles, claiming that the Attorney-General has erred by deciding not to pursue charges in the case. Read more »

Diversity Is God-given, Sultan’s Consort Reminds Muslims

Tuanku Raja Zarith Sofia Sultan Idris Shah says diversity is God-given and as such, it should encourage us to achieve mutual love and respect.

God created diversity so that people from different backgrounds could interact with one another and achieved mutual respect, Tuanku Raja Zarith Sofia Sultan Idris Shah told Muslims today, amid rising racial and religious intolerance in multi-ethnic Malaysia. Read more »

DAP To Lodge Reports Nationwide Against IGP Over Interfaith Custodial Cases

DAP has told all its Wanita and Socialist Youth state committees to lodge reports against Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar (pic) for refusing to comply with the orders of the civil court in interfaith custodial cases.

Its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that the party made this decision at the Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting last night following Khalid's statement that police would not enforce any order from either the civil or Shariah Court on custody battles where one parent had converted to Islam. Read more »

Catholic Lawyers Meet With Minister To Discuss Harmony Bills

The Catholic Lawyers Society of Kuala Lumpur (CLS) met with the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup today to discuss the National Harmony & Reconciliation Bill, National Harmony & Reconciliation Commission Bill, Preservation of Religious Practise Bill and the Racial & Religious Hate Crime Bill.

Led by CLS President, Viola De Cruz Silva, five members of the CLS met Tan Sri Joseph Kurup for about two hours to share their views of on the 4 Bills. Read more »

Exco Says Bible Society Must Wait Longer For Return Of Holy Books

The AlKitab Bahasa Malaysia bible and the Bup Kudus Iban-language bible at the centre of the controversial raid by JAIS on the Bible Society of Malaysia office earlier this year.

Despite being told by the Attorney General to return the 300 bibles in Bahasa Malaysia (AlKitab) and the Iban language (Bup Kudus), which were seized by the state Islamic affairs department (JAIS) in January, the Selangor government still wants to meet Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail for clarification on his decision. Read more »

MAIS Says Bibles Should Not Be Returned, Wants Action Taken Against Group

The AlKitab Bahasa Malaysia bible and the Bup Kudus Iban-language bible at the centre of the controversial raid by JAIS on the Bible Society of Malaysia office earlier this year.

Despite being told by the Attorney General to return the 300 bibles in Bahasa Malaysia (AlKitab) and the Iban language (Bup Kudus), which were seized by the state Islamic affairs department (JAIS) in January, the Selangor government still wants to meet Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail for clarification on his decision. Read more »

Selangor MB Orders JAIS To Return Seized Bibles

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has ordered the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) to return the 321 bibles seized from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM), a day after the Attorney-General (AG) announced he will not be pursuing charges in the case.

The Selangor mentri besar said the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government has been advised by the state legal advisor’s office to ensure that the process of returning the Malay- and Iban-language bibles to BSM was carried out in accordance to the law. Read more »

AG Says JAIS Erred In Seizing Bibles, Orders Case Closed

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail today said the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) had erred in seizing Bibles from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and ordered the case closed, bringing an end to a contentious issue, which had dragged on for the past six months.

The A-G also noted that the 321 copies of the Alkitab (Malay Bible) and Bup Kudus (Iban Bibles) were not a threat to national security. Read more »

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