PETALING Jaya lawmaker Maria Chin Abdullah has filed a civil action to quash the shariah court’s contempt proceedings against her.

She confirmed the application for judicial review was filed with the Kuala Lumpur High Court on March 3.

It named Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP), and the Federal Territories Syariah Judiciary Department as respondents.

High Court judge Noorin Badaruddin has set May 31 to hear the application.

Contempt proceedings were brought against Maria by Naza Group chairman SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin in September 2019, following her comment on the shariah court’s sentencing his ex-wife Emilia Hanafi to seven days in jail.

Maria had said that the shariah legal system discriminated against women.

Among others, she seeks an order from the high court to nullify the shariah court’s decision allowing the contempt application to proceed and an order to nullify the same court’s approval for committal proceedings on the grounds that it was made bad faith. 

She also seeks to be compensated for the losses, fear, and damage to her reputation she has suffered that were incurred by the shariah court’s actions.

Maria was represented by lawyer Rosli Dahlan while senior federal counsel Ahmad Hanir Hanbaly appeared for the minister and lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kader for SM Faisal. – May 5, 2021.