THE head honcho of a human rights NGO has slammed the Court of Appeal’s decision to defer its ruling on two Muslim convert preachers who had allegedly insulted the faith and religious practices of non-Muslims for the umpteenth time.
Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) president S. Shashi Kumar said the fact that no decision was provided for the postponement in his private prosecution of Firdaus Wong Wai Hung and Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu has added insult to injury.
“It’s ridiculous. How hard is it for the courts to arrive at a decision?” Shashi pointed out in a WhatsApp text to FocusM.
All-in-all, the appellant court has deferred its decision three times, including today (Dec 10).
“We are beyond frustrated with the continuous delays. Since August, the decision has been postponed multiple times. “On Nov 19, we were notified at the last minute while we were already at court, that one of the panel judges had an emergency,” revealed Shashi.
“Today, the decision was initially scheduled for 9am but upon arrival, we were informed it had been postponed to 2.30pm.
“To make matters worse, I received a call from my lawyer S. Ravichandran informing me that the matter has been postponed once again with no explanation provided or any new dates given. This on-going uncertainty are completely unacceptable and unprofessional.”
Meanwhile, Ravichandran said generally courts would provide reasons to defer a case but strangely, he was only informed that he would be notified of the decision on a later date. “So, it’s disappointing that no reason whatsoever was given,” he added.
Shashi who is unable to contain his frustration has urged Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Chief Justice Datuk Seri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim “to urgently intervene and address this matter”.
“Why is a straightforward judgment so difficult to deliver?” he fumed. “The on-going delays are deeply concerning and it is imperative that the appellant court provides clarity and resolution without further postponements.”
Added Shashi: “That today (Dec 10) marks World Human Rights Day serves as a reminder that everyone is equal before the law and is entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.” – Dec 10, 2024
Main image credit: Firdaus Wong Wai Hung/Facebook
