KUALA LUMPUR – The Court of Appeal today reserved its judgement in an activists’ appeal to commence private prosecution against two Muslim preachers who allegedly insulted other religions.
The court fixed June 7 for case management, when it will fix another date to deliver its verdict on the appeal by Human Rights Federation (GHRF) president S. Sashi Kumar against the Shah Alam’s high court’s decision to uphold the dismissal of his complaints against preachers Firdaus Wong and Muhammad Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu.
Shashi filed his bid for private prosecution against the preachers at the Shah Alam magistrate’s court in January 2021.
In September, the magistrate dismissed his application on grounds that police had begun investigations into Zamri, while the probe against Wong was declared as ‘no further action’.
Private prosecution is sought through an application to a magistrate for prosecutors from the Attorney-General’s Chambers to charge a person.
Shashi’s complaint that Wong and Zamri had insulted the faith and religious practices of Hindus in Facebook and Youtube postings was part of his efforts to launch a private prosecution against them.
The appeals court panel today was led by judge Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim who sat with justices Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali and Zaini Mazlan. – May 21, 2024