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KOTA KINABALU: Two members of a Sabah political party are seeking a court order to prevent PAS ‘Pasir Puteh MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh from making hurtful comments against Christians in the country.
Lawyer Marcel Jude and businesswoman Margaret Binsing, both from Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), have also filed a “blasphemous libel” lawsuit. Jude is the division head of Tanjung Aru STAR, while Binsing is a member of the Tambunan division.
According to court documents, Jude, who is a Catholic, and Binsing, who is a member of the Borneo Evangelical Church, are seeking an injunction against Zawawi to prevent him from making defamatory, malicious, insulting and blasphemous comments about their religion.
They say that the statements made by Zawawi violate and contravene or illegally interfere with their right to freedom of religion under article 11 of the Federal Constitution, for which the duo are seeking compensation.
The duo presented the documents after Zawawi refused to apologize for his statement in Parliament that the Bible was “distorted.”
A check with the court’s electronic filing system revealed that the case was brought up on October 5.
During a debate by Dewan Rakyat on the proposed higher penalties for driving while intoxicated last week, Zawawi said that biblical injunctions on drinking had been “distorted or altered,” prompting a reprimand from Christian associations and politicians.
Breaking his silence on the matter yesterday, Zawawi said it was his “noble intention” to highlight that all religions prohibited the consumption of alcohol and therefore saw no need to apologize to Christians for their comments.
Zawawi said it would be “a sin for Christianity” to say that Christians were allowed to consume alcohol, as it would lead to drunkenness.
Jude and Binsing claim that “blasphemous defamation” occurs when something against God, Christ, or the Christian religion is published in terms so “defamatory, abusive, or offensive as to outrage the feelings of any member of the Christian religion.”
They claim that blasphemous defamation originated in the laws of the United Kingdom and is embodied in the common law of Sabah under the provisions of the Civil Law Act 1966, Law 67.
The duo stated that the lawsuit is to safeguard Malaysia’s internal tranquility, adding that in a plural society, especially in multicultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic Sabah, it is necessary not only to respect different religious beliefs, but also to protect them from scum. , defamation, mockery and contempt.
They add that the law does not interfere with the free expression of genuine opinions, but prohibits the use of rude mockery on subjects that are sacred to the people of the country, especially Sabah.
