KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — The Shariah High Court here will announce whether or not Naza Group chairman Datuk SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin can start contempt proceedings against Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah next month.

The businessman had filed an ex-parte application against Maria for criticising the Shariah Court’s decision to slap a jail sentence on Faisal’s former wife Emilia Hanafi.

The ex-parte application was heard this morning by Shariah High Court judge Mohamed Fouzi Mokhtar who then set October 14 to deliver his decision.

Datuk Sulaiman Abdullah who representing Faisal argued that Maria’s strongly-worded statement against the Shariah Court’s decision as an MP carried weight which also garnered attention from the public.

"This is a normal court procedure between a husband and wife. It is the same as proceedings conducted in the civil court. 

"However without referencing nor mention the proceedings in her statement, instead she implied that the Shariah Court is a primitive court that metes out one-sided court orders,” he said.

Lawyer Rafie Mohd Shafie who is also representing Faisal, also argued that the implied meaning in Maria’s statement was an attack against the Shariah Court’s integrity.

"This gives an untrue impression and image to the multicultural Malaysian society on the Islamic justice system,” he said.

Rafie added that in summary, Maria had labelled the Shariah Court as an unfair institution that discriminates women which subsequently tarnished the reputation of the Shariah Court.

Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader speaks to reporters at the Shariah High Court in Kuala Lumpur September 18, 2019. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Faisal’s third lawyer was Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader who was also present.

As it was an ex-parte application, Maria was not required to be in court or represented.

On September 4, Emilia was slapped with a seven-day jail sentence by the Kuala Lumpur Shariah Court for rescheduling visitation dates for her children to be with their father. 

She is now out on RM5,000 bail pending appeal.

Emilia and Faisal divorced in 2016, with the former granted full custody of their three children, Fawwaz, Faiz and Farhan. 

This prompted Maria’s comments that Muslim women were still being discriminated under Malaysia’s shariah legal system published in a press statement titled "Emilia Hanifi’s sentencing proves injustice against Muslim women still exist in the legal system”.

Later when met outside the court, Akberdin said Maria did not show any remorse over her remarks as her statements were not retracted from the public till today.

"We are left with no choice. That is why we have to proceed with today’s hearing. We cannot sit idly by, we have to do something to restore the credibility of the Shariah Court,” he said.