Maria has every right to comment on judiciary: MPs

IPOH – Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah’s seven-day jail sentence by the shariah court after she called on authorities to correct injustices against Muslim women in a 2018 incident has raised serious questions of procedural impropriety, a group of lawmakers said today.

In a joint statement issued today, the 79 opposition MPs said the fact that Maria was sentenced to a custodial punishment in her absence is wrong and contradicts existing legal provisions on sentencing.

While they respect the decision of the court, they said, any system of law, civil or shariah, should be open to criticism of what they described as institutionalised problems.

Individual judgments are also matters of public interest and can be commented on by anyone in accordance with constitutionally guaranteed rights of freedom of expression, they said.

“Especially a person like Maria who has public duties as an MP. Her comments were not scurrilous or malicious,” the statement read.

“They were clearly done in good faith with the view that the shariah legal system and other bodies would address them. 

“Judges are by no means immune to public criticism and accountability to those they serve in order to place confidence in the judiciary.”

On Monday, a shariah court found Maria guilty of contempt and sentenced her in absentia to seven days’ jail over a 2018 article where she had urged authorities to correct injustices against Muslim women.

Last year, Maria had sought a judicial review at the civil high court after being allegedly refused recourse by the shariah court to address the “improper process” of contempt proceedings against her. – The Vibes, April 28, 2022