JAWI salah tangkap Kassim Ahmad kata hakim...

Kassim Ahmad menang kes lawan JAWI...

Tangkapan dan penahanan intelektual dan aktivis Islam Dr Kassim Ahmad yang dilakukan Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan  (Jawi) pada 2013 adalah tidak sah, putus Mahkamah Rayuan hari ini.

Panel 3 orang hakim diketuai Vernon Ong Lam Kiat berkata, Jawi tidak mempunyai bidang kuasa terhadap Kassim yang menetap di Kedah.

“Kami mengarahkan penangkapan, penahanan dan pendakwaan terbatal dan kes dibuang,” katanya dalam membenarkan rayuan Kassim menentang keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi.

Panel hakim juga membenarkan hujah Mahkamah Tinggi Sivil mempunyai bidang kuasa yang lebih tinggi berbanding tribunal yang lebih rendah, termasuk Mahkamah Syariah dalam soal perundangan.

Kassim turut dianugerahkan kos mahkamah sebanyak RM20,000.

Kassim mencabar Jawi mengenai penahanannya di negeri luar bidang kuasa pihak berkuasa agama itu, mendakwa tindakan Jawi tidak sah, melanggar Perlembagaan dan melampaui bidang kuasanya.

Selain Jawi, beliau juga menamakan Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, menteri bertanggungjawab menguruskan hal ehwal Islam, dan ketua pendakwa raya syariah Wilayah Persekutuan ketika itu, Ibrahim Deris dan kerajaan persekutuan.

Cabaran perundangan Kassim kepada Jawi ditolak Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur pada 6 Januari lepas.

Beliau juga didakwa di Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah Putrajaya atas dakwaan menghina Islam, dalam sebuah seminar yang dihadirinya sebelum ini. Seminar itu dirasmikan bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Kassim mengeluarkan kenyataan yang kritikal terhadap beberapa hadis dan menuduh sesetengah ulama di Malaysia memaksa pengamalan “kasta ulama”.

Ong hari ini berkata kesan buruk kepada Kassim kerana dimalukan dan trauma berikutan penangkapannya akan dinilai pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi.

Ong mengetuai panel 3 hakim bersama Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli dan Datuk Hasnah Mohamed Hashim berkata waran tangkap Kassim tidak mencukupi, dan pegawai yang menahannya tidak mematuhi undang-undang jenayah syariah Wilayah Persekutuan.

“Kerana itu, penangkapan itu terbatal dan salah,” katanya.

Ong berkata Kassim tidak pernah dihadapkan kepada kadi berhampiran sebaik saja ditahan di rumahnya di Kulim, Kedah yang merupakan syarat wajib penahanan.

“Sebaliknya, beliau dibawa ke Pulau Pinang dan diterbangkan ke Putrajaya sebelum dibawa berjumpa kadi,” katanya.

Beliau berkata penahanan Kassim juga tidak sah kerana ditahan Jawi melebihi 24 jam dan dinafikan hak mendapatkan peguam.

“Maka kerana itu, haknya di bawah Perkara 5 Perlembagaan Persekutuan dicabul,” katanya.

Ong berkata dakwaan kepada Kassim yang beliau tidak mematuhi fatwa dikeluarkan Majlis Agama Wilayah Persekutuan hanya tertakluk kepada orang Islam menetap dalam kawasan bidang kuasa majlis.

“Keputusan untuk mendakwa Kassim yang menetap di Kedah ialah salah,” katanya.

Kassim, 83, ditahan anggota penguatkuasa Jawi yang turut menggeledah rumahnya pada 26 Mac, 2013.

Dalam semakan kehakiman kepada Jawi yang difailkan Kassim, beliau meminta arahan untuk membatalkan keputusan ketua pendakwaraya pada 27 Mac untuk mendakwanya kerana menghina Islam dan merendahkan pihak berkuasa agama.

Beliau mahu kes di Mahkamah Syariah ditangguh, sementara menunggu keputusan semakan kehakiman.

Kassim mengaku tidak bersalah atas semua pertuduhan.

Kesnya di Mahkamah Syariah dijadualkan didengar pada 18 Januari.

Turut hadir di mahkamah hari ini ialah bekas menteri undang-undang Datuk Zaid Ibrahim dan aktivis Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir. – tmi

Kassim Ahmad's arrest by Jawi 'unlawful', court rules...

Muslim scholar Kassim Ahmad today won his challenge against the Federal Territories Islamic Department (Jawi)'s prosecution for allegedly insulting Islam and disobeying a fatwa.

Court of Appeal judge Vernon Ong delivered the unanimous decision of the three-man bench in the court in Putrajaya and declared, among others, that the arrest of the 82-year-old on March 26 last year was unlawful.

Justice Ong also said that there were changes made to the arrest warrant used against Kassim, which made the process null and void.

"We order that the arrest, detention and prosecution are null and void," he said in allowing Kassim's appeal against a High Court ruling.

The bench also held that the civil High Court had supervisory jurisdiction over an inferior tribunal, including the Syariah Court, when it had erred in law.

Justice Ong said there were changes made to the arrest warrant used against Kassim that made the process null and void.

In particular, he said, it was found that Jawi had “amended" the arrest warrant from “bringing the arrested person to the nearest Syariah Court” to “nearest religious department office."

"It is clear that the arrest warrant is defective and accordingly, the arrest warrant is rendered null and void," the judge added.

Upon his arrest, Justice Ong said, it was "not disputed" during the appeal hearing that Kassim was never brought before the nearest kadi, in Kedah, as required under the law.

He said it was also not disputed that Kassim is a resident of Kedah and not the Federal Territories and as such, the charge under Section 9 of the Syariah Criminal Procedure (Federal Territories) Act 1997 is not binding on him.

"In our view, the appellant is not obliged to obey a fatwa issued in the Federal Territories," he said.

On his detention, Justice Ong said it was found that Kassim was held for more than 24 hours before being charged and denied his rights to legal consultation.

"Accordingly, the appeal is allowed and the High Court decision is set aside," he said.

The other members of the Court of Appeal panel were Justices Abdul Rahman Sebli and Hasnah Mohammed.

Jawi should drop charges

Kassim, who travelled from Kedah this morning, was accompanied by his wife, two daughters and four grandchildren.

Also present in a show of support were social activist Marina Mahathir, former law minister Zaid Ibrahim and activist filmmaker Norhayati Kaprawi.

Kassim had named Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom, chief syarie prosecutor, Jawi and the government as respondents in his legal challenge.

Met outside the courtroom later, a visibly relieved Kassim said: "Alhamdulillah (Praise Allah), we have won our appeal today. I hope that Jawi will now drop the charges against me."

His counsel Rosli Dahlan said the logical next step would be for Jawi to drop the charges against Kassim, which have been set for mention on Jan 18 next year.

"Now that there is a conclusive decision by the Court of Appeal, I think it would be honourable on their part to withdraw the charges," Rosli told reporters.

He added that the court decision today also shows how Jawi's actions are not in accordance with its own syariah laws. - mk

Letupan bom di LRT Taman Jaya... 

Story kat SINI dan SINI   

Hari ini Timbalan Menteri Kewangan II Dato' Johari Ghani kata jangan undi menteri yang selalu bagi alasan merepek. Saya agak apa alasan menteri merepek bila harga kereta naik tahun depan. Pasti ada yang suruh guna pengangkutan awam. Tetapi Najib Razak telah juga naikkan tambang pengangkutan awam - berpeluh la menteri nak merepek bagi alasan baru.

Seekoq lagi MP UMNO/BN mangkok hayun bagi nasihat...

cheers.