Kuching court slaps permanent injunction on Muslim activist over hate speech

KUALA LUMPUR – The Kuching High Court has issued a permanent injunction against a 38-year-old religious activist, Wan Asshima Kamaruddin, for acting unlawfully in inciting the public against Christians and people of other faiths. 

Judicial commissioner Datuk Zaleha Rose Pandin also issued a permanent injunction against members of Wan Asshima’s non-governmental organisation (NGO), Pondok Hijrah Muslimah Malaysia, for damaging and desecrating properties belonging to churches, and for violating the constitutional rights of Christians or those of other faiths, citing Article 11 of the federal constitution.  

According to a Dayak Daily report, Zaleha rendered the verdict on July 14 after Wan Asshima failed to show up before the Kuching High Court for a civil suit filed against her.

This came after Wan Asshima – who carries the nom de guerre, Puteri Mujahidah Wan Asshima Kamaruddin, and who claimed to speak for many Islamic organisations in Peninsular Malaysia – posted a 12-minute video on March 11 last year threatening worshippers of Christianity and calling for the closure of all churches in Sarawak. 

A total of 61 police reports were lodged against her nationwide, with the majority of complaints coming from Sabah, Sarawak, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, according to police.

Three individuals – Ben Diomedes Ujai, Bobby William and Francis James Noew – who represented Sarawakians of Christian faith, filed a civil lawsuit against her on March 11. 

The three were represented by counsel Dominique Ng. 

In the Dayak Daily report, Ng was quoted as saying that they have successfully obtained a ruling in the case of Ben Diomedes, and two others, against Wan Asshima in the Kuching High Court. 

“On July 14, we managed to get a judgment before Zaleha, in default of appearance and defence. Some of the most important judgments were several declarations (that) Wan Asshima and her agents, members of her NGO, either individually or collectively, had violated the rights of the plaintiffs under Article 13 of the federal constitution, breaching the Malaysia Agreement 1963, constituting a provocation, promotion of ill feelings and causing disharmony amongst Muslims and non-Muslims in a multiracial, multireligious nation or federation, and had slandered and committed libel against the plaintiffs as worshippers of the Christian faith,” Ng said during a press conference. 

Wan Asshima was also charged in the sessions court in Kuala Lumpur under Section 233(1) of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998, which is punishable under Section 233(3) of the same act, providing a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both, with a further fine of RM1,000 for every day that the offence is repeated after conviction. 

Wan Asshima changed her plea to guilty on May 25, and she was subsequently sentenced by sessions court judge Edwin Paramjothy on June 27 to pay an RM13,000 fine or serve six months in jail if the amount is not paid. She settled her fine. – The Vibes, August 10, 2022