KUALA LUMPUR – A recent jail sentence by the shariah court against Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah has triggered support from Wanita MCA as the wing objected to the sentence.
A statement by Wanita MCA national chairman Datuk Heng Seai Kie said Maria as a woman MP was in full right to question the treatment of Emilia Hanafi even if it concerned punishments meted out by the religious judiciary.
“As an MP, more so a female MP, Maria has a duty to express her opinions on gender issues, especially, if there appears to her, a slant detrimental against women,” Heng said.
Emilia was also sentenced to seven days in jail after the shariah court found her guilty of unilaterally rescheduling the visitation dates for her children to be with their father, businessman Datuk SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin.
Heng said the week-long jail sentence against Maria sets a bad precedent, while sending the wrong message to the public over arguments for gender equality.
“Wanita MCA is concerned that the more serious issue of domestic violence and the protection of single mothers have not been adequately addressed and instead, perhaps even negated.”
Yesterday, the shariah court sentenced Maria to seven days in jail for contempt of court, related to a 2018 incident where she had called on authorities to correct injustices against Muslim women in reaction to Emilia’s punishment.
Heng also questioned if the shariah court was aware of an ongoing civil suit by Maria against Faisal where the former Bersih chair is attempting to quash leave by the religious court to Faisal to initiate contempt proceedings against her.
In Emilia’s case, Heng said it was not uncommon for divorced parents to mutually rearrange meeting dates with their partners, adding how Faisal had in the past requested to meet his children outside of the visitation dates and these requests were granted.
She added that Faisal was previously investigated by police for domestic violence after allegedly assaulting his wife in 2015, and the verdict against Emilia only compounds the trauma experienced by the couple’s children.
“For their mother to spend time behind bars only multiplies the trauma endured by Emilia’s young children in addition to having witnessed their parents’ acrimonious divorce and custody battle.” – The Vibes, April 26, 2022
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