Syariah judges file suit against Rafizi

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysia Syariah Officers Association has lodged a report against PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli over alleged defamation about the syariah legal institution and courts.

Federal Territory syariah court chief judge Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim, who represented the association, said Rafizi made baseless claims that bribery cases among syariah judges were higher than that among civil judges.

Rafizi allegedly made the statement in a mock parliamentary sitting last month.

“If we look at graft cases among judges, only one syariah judge was arrested for such case. Rafizi’s slanderous statement has insulted and tarnished the image of the syariah court institution,” he said outside the district police headquarters.

Present were Federal Territory syariah chief prosecutor Ibrahim Deris, Malaysia Muslim Lawyers Association president Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar and the lawyer to the Malaysia Syariah Officers Association, Datuk Mohd Haziq Pillay.

Muhammad said Rafizi claimed that the implementation of the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (RUU355) would open the door for bribery and abuse of power among syariah judges as there was no salary increment for them.