KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) today urged the authorities to take action against those who issued death threats on lawyer Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid.

The coalition of women’s rights groups said it is appalled and disturbed at the attacks and death threats directed at Nik Elin who is involved in the challenge of the constitutionality and validity of the Kelantan’s Shariah provisions.

"Such threats not only violate the principles of human decency but also stand as a crime in Malaysia,” JAG said in a statement here.

"As stated in the Penal Code section 506, issuing death threats is a criminal act that provides a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment or with a fine or both, if convicted.

JAG is a coalition of 14 local women’s rights organisations which among others include Women’s Aid Organisation, Sisters in Islam, Family Frontiers and Justice for Sisters. The statement today was also co-signed by groups such as the Centre For Independent Journalism and Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram).

It said that the lawyer’s courageous stance in challenging the constitutionality and validity of state Shariah laws that were enacted by the Kelantan Legislative Assembly highlights the critical need to protect and defend the supremacy of the Federal Constitution.

"It is alarming and deeply concerning to see continuous harassment, attacks and death threats directed towards Nik Elin, especially as they appear to be an attempt to suppress and silence her voice for speaking out against injustices,” it said.

JAG also urged the public to refrain from disseminating hate, issuing threats and encouraging violence aimed at Nik Elin.

"It is crucial to recognise that death threats, whether through social media platforms or physically in person, show an act of extremism and must not be tolerated,” JAG said.

In May, Nik Elin and her daughter Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Tengku Abdul Rahman filed a challenging of the constitutionality of 20 Shariah offences under the Kelantan state law, arguing that the state legislative assembly did not have the powers to create these provisions in a state law, as it is the federal government instead which holds the powers under the Federal Constitution to make laws on such crimes.

Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has since emphasised in the Federal Court that there was no dispute arising over Islam as the official religion of the Federation in the hearing.

Several civil groups have also explained that all laws, including state Shariah laws, are subjected to the same law-making process — following claims that Islam is under threat by a recent review of Kelantan’s provisions.

Yesterday, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang accused the judiciary today of being "enslaved” by certain parties in order to sideline and belittle Islamic teachings, amid a constitutional challenge of several Kelantan Shariah provisions.

The Marang MP claimed that supporting such a move is considered "haram” or forbidden in Islam, and it is an obligation for adherents to oppose it.