The Malaysian Insider – 2 hours 57 minutes agoRELATED CONTENT
- BN minister urges A-G to reopen case on Perkasa chief
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup today urged the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) to reopen the case involving Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali over his threat to organise a Bible-burning protest.
Kurup's call, which is unprecedented, adds to growing voice urging Putrajaya to take action against the president of the Malay rights group.
Kurup said the Attorney-General (A-G) has to reconsider its decision not to charge Ibrahim in the interest of maintaining unity.
"Whether he will be convicted in court or not is another matter but my proposal is for the case to be reopened to satisfy all the vocal views on the matter," he said in reply to points raised by MPs during the Budget 2015 debate at the Dewan Rakyat.
Kurup, who is the minister in charge of national unity, said that a review of the case was necessary to appease those who were upset with the AGC's decision not to charge Ibrahim.
Kurup, however, refused to be drawn into debate whether Ibrahim's call was seditious, saying that it was for the courts to decide.
He also denied claims of executive interference, saying that the cabinet had never interfered with the A-G's role and duties.
Tan Sri Gani Patail has been criticised for practising double-standards with his decision not to prosecute Ibrahim for his call last year to burn the Bibles with the word "Allah", while at the same time pursuing opposition politicians, activists and academicians with the Sedition Act.
In defending its decision, the AGC had said Ibrahim's call for Bibles to be burned must be viewed in its entire context, adding that the statement was aimed at a specific case whereby Bibles were given to Muslim students of SMK Jelutong in Penang.
"As decided by the court, before a statement is said to have seditious tendencies, the statement must be viewed in the context it was made.
"When studied in its entire context, Datuk Ibrahim's statement is not categorised as having seditious tendencies.
"It was clear Datuk Ibrahim Ali had no intention to create religious tensions, but was only defending the purity of Islam," the AGC had said in a statement last week.
Critics, however, have pointed out that the Sedition Act does not require intent or tendency to be proven in order for a statement or action to be deemed seditious.
The AGC had added Ibrahim could not be charged under Section 504 of the Penal Code either, as he had no intention of insulting or provoking to the point that it could threaten public peace.
De facto law minister Nancy Shukri also came under fire when she said in her written parliamentary reply on October 7 that Ibrahim had not been charged as he was defending Islam.
She told critics that she was replying on behalf of the Attorney-General and that as a member of the cabinet, she could not meddle in the issue. – November 3, 2014.
