KUALA LUMPUR — The scheduled trial for Siti Nuramira Abdullah, who performed at the Crackhouse Comedy Club and is alleged to have insulted Islam during her skit, was adjourned as the performer was admitted to a hospital.
Nuramira’s lawyer, R. Sivaraj, told judge Nor Hasniah Ab Razak that the defendant had suffered viral gastroenteritis, with symptoms including fever, vomiting, and abdominal pain, among others.
He handed her a virtual medical certificate (MC) for a day from Universiti Malaya Medical Centre.
However, upon checking, Nor Hasniah found no information in the MC indicating Siti Nuramira’s admittance, and ordered to see the original copy instead.
Following a brief stand down, a guarantor known only as Kiran later entered the court to present the copy, Nor Hasniah proceeded to accept as proof of the defendant’s ailment.
Siti Nuramira’s trial will resume tomorrow.
Siti Nuramira had previously pleaded not guilty to her charge of inciting religious disharmony, after a video of her stand-up skit went viral.
In the video, she claimed to be a Muslim and had 15 chapters (juzuk) of the Quran memorised. She later took off her headscarf and outer attire at the clubhouse, which was also aired in the video.
She was charged under Section 298A(1)(a) of the Penal Code, which relates to deliberately causing disunity, ill will, or hatred on the grounds of religion.
A witness, Muhammad Asyraf Kamal Musthaffa, told the court yesterday that Nuramira and her “husband” were informed of the clubhouse’s unwritten rules, which include avoiding sensitive topics and 3R elements (race, religion, and royalty).
Citing her performance as never-before-seen, Asyraf, who was the host during the incident, said it did not represent Crackhouse Comedy Club’s way of performance. – The Vibes, March 21, 2023
