Thursday November 19, 2009
Former Perlis mufti charged with uncertified teaching
By M. MAGESWARI
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin claimed trial at the Gombak Timur Lower Syariah Court to a charge of teaching aspects related to Islam without certification early this month.
Dr Mohd Asri @ Abdul Talib, 38, an Islamic Studies lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia, was charged with committing the offence at a house in Taman Sri Ukay in Ampang between 8.10pm and 9.45pm on Nov 1.
If convicted, he could be fined a maximum RM3,000 or jailed up to two years or both under Section 119 (1) of the Selangor Islamic Religious Administration Enactment 2003.
Syarie chief prosecutor Abdul Shukor Abdul Hamid said he had applied for the case to be transferred to the Shah Alam Syariah High Court on Nov 12 on grounds that the case would need an accurate interpretation of law by a more experienced judge.
Another reason for the transfer, he said, was because the case had received wide coverage from the media as the accused is an influential person.
However, Dr Mohd Asri’s lawyer Jamal Mohd Lokman Sulaiman objected to the transfer application, saying that the affidavit filed by the prosecution did not follow a proper format.
In rejecting the transfer application, Syarie judge Wan Mahyuddin Wan Muhammad said such an application would only be allowed if the prosecution could provide reasonable grounds on public interest and not based on “individual interest.”
He also said the transfer would only delay the case and prejudice the accused.
The judge set bail at RM3,000 in two sureties and fixed Jan 5 for trial. He also denied an application for a stay order pending an appeal over the transfer ruling. Dr Mohd Asri’s friends later posted bail.
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