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KUALA LUMPUR – The shariah high court here has ordered Emilia Hanafi, the Naza Group chairman’s former wife, to serve her seven-day sentence at Kajang Prison starting today.
Emilia, who was dressed in white, failed in her bid to delay the sentence handed down in September 2019 after she was found to be in contempt of court.
Berita Harian reported that she surrendered to the court this morning and will be sent to the women’s wing in the prison.
Lawyer Nazri Yahya was quoted as saying that after serving her sentence, Emilia will be attending proceedings at the magistrate court here on July 6.
Meanwhile, her brother Ezhan Shahril said at the courthouse that he sent an appeal letter to Istana Negara three months ago, pleading for a sentence reduction.
However, he has yet to receive a reply.
Last week, Emilia, 43, filed a judicial review application to challenge the Kuala Lumpur Shariah Court’s jurisdiction with high court judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid setting July 20 to hear the application.
Emilia, as the applicant, filed the judicial review application through Messrs. Nizam Bashir & Associates at the high court on June 8, naming her ex-husband, ex-mother-in-law Puan Sri Zaleha Ismail, 70, and five others as respondents.
Other respondents are the registrar of the Kuala Lumpur Shariah High Court, the chief registrar of the Federal Territories Shariah Court of Appeal, the Kuala Lumpur Shariah High Court, the Kuala Lumpur Shariah Court of Appeal, and the Malaysian government.
Based on the application, Emilia said she did not live or reside in the Federal Territory during the hadhanah (custody) proceedings filed at the Kuala Lumpur Shariah High Court on July 23, 2018. She was staying in Kajang, Selangor.
The mother of three said Section 4 of the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) 1984 applies to all Muslims living in the Federal Territories and all Muslims residing in the Federal Territories but staying outside the Federal Territories.
On September 4, 2019, Emilia was sentenced to jail for unilaterally rescheduling the visitation dates for her children to be with their father, Datuk SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin Kamal. – The Vibes, June 27, 2022