THE Kuching High Court has imposed a permanent injunction against a self-styled “Puteri Mujahidah” from acting unlawfully in inciting the public against Christians and people of other faiths.

Wan Asshima Kamaruddin of Taman Permata, Kuala Lumpur was previously convicted by a Kuala Lumpur court on June 27 over the improper use of network facilities or services by uploading a video threatening Christians in the country.

Judicial commissioner Zaleha Rose Pandin also imposed a permanent injunction against Wan Asshima from “causing destruction, damage and/or desecration against properties belonging to all churches, and from unlawful interference of the constitutional right of worshippers of the Christian faith or other faiths under article 11 of the Federal Constitution”.

“It’s a victory for religious freedom in Sarawak,” the three men – businessman Ben Diomedes, politician Bobby William and human rights activist Francis James Noew – who filed the civil suit said in a media conference in Kuching today.

“The civil suit was filed on behalf of all Sarawak folk, especially of the Christian faith and was solely in defence of religious freedom in Sarawak. We did not target a particular religion.

“All religions in Sarawak and their places of worship are sacred and must be protected at all costs from anyone or any group that tries to destroy them,” they said.

Zaleha delivered the judgment in default of appearance and defence on July 14 but the three men and their lawyer Dominique Ng only disclosed the decision today.

“Despite the service, she failed to appear in the High Court at Kuching or to file a defence to our suit,” Ng said.

Diomedes, William and Noew filed their suit on March 11 after finding the 12-minute video clip, which Wan Asshima uploaded onto her personal Facebook account, and on the YouTube account of “Gerakan Serikandi Malaysia Wan Asshima Kamaruddin”.

In her rant, Wan Asshima, whose civil society group is the Pondok Hijrah Muslimah Malaysia, had threatened Christians and to close down churches in Sarawak in the name of defending Islam.

The court judgment also covered her agents and members of her society, whether assigned individually or collectively.

Ng said the High Court found Wan Asshima had violated the rights of the three men and “all Christians” under article 13 of the Federal Constitution, that it had breached the Malaysia Agreement of 1963, that it constitutes a provocation, promotion of ill feelings and/or causing disharmony amongst Muslims and non Muslims in a multiracial, multireligious nation or federation.

He said the court found that Wan Asshima had slandered and committed libel against the three men, who are Christians.
A total of 61 police reports had reportedly been lodged against Wan Asshima nationwide, of which more than half were from Sarawak.

She is now facing a charge of causing religious disharmony.

The woman had on May 25 pleaded guilty in a Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to charges under section 233(1) of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998.

In her sentencing on June 27, judge Edwin Paramjothy fined her RM13,000. She paid the fine. – August 10, 2022.